Review - Capri Sun

 

As a wife and mom of three children, decisions about what kinds of food to purchase at the grocery store are pretty important. I am not a health food expert or anything, but I try my best to prepare healthy, balanced meals with lots of fruits and veggies for my family every day. Also, I think it is very important for the children not to fill up their growing bodies with lots of junk food. Does my family eat perfectly all the time? The answer is NO. I hate to admit it, but we love sweets and junk food too. So, trying to make a conscious effort to make better choices for our bodies goes a long way, don’t you think? Growing up, my mother cooked very nice healthy meals for us every day, and we didn’t snack all the time. Dessert to us often consisted of very sweet peaches, well ripened cantaloupe, and juicy apples--those sorts of things. Occasionally, we had sweets and soda pop, and because it didn’t happen often, we enjoyed it so very much.

During the summer, my mom would buy Capri Suns and freeze them to use as ice bags. She packed them in the cooler with the special Japanese style lunch (Bento) she prepared. Then she would take us to the nearby beach or park. By the time we ate lunch, the frozen Capri Suns had melted just right (still had some small chunks of ice) while they were cooling the food and keeping it fresh. My sister and I were so excited and couldn’t wait to have a drink. The excitement, the cold delicious juice going down my throat, and of course being outdoors and doing something fun brought happy feelings. People say, “We do not remember days, but we remember moments”, and I think it is so true. I still remember those times as part of my good happy childhood memories.

Now that I am a mom, I have been doing the same for my children. I buy juice packs or boxes and freeze them to use as ice packs and put them in the cooler for family picnics. Sometimes I would pack them in the kids’ lunches for school as well. I grew up as a Capri Sun kid (if there is such a term) and, several months ago, when I found the Capri Sun 100% juice at a grocery store, I was super excited!! Capri Sun 100% fruit juice has 1.5 servings of fruit* in every pouch with no added sugar and my kids love the flavors they offer. Now that school is in session I will be packing a Capri Sun 100% juice into their lunches.

 

*Each pouch provides ¾ cup fruit juice, which is 1 ½ servings of fruit according to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.  As part of a well-balanced diet, eat a variety of fruit every day and be sure to make most of your whole fruits

Just Checking In...

A week from today, we finally got the key to the new house, and on Thursday the moving truck came to drop everything off. Oh, Boy.

I knew we had tons of stuff, but it seems like unpacking is taking forever. We are still living out of boxes, and our computer is not hooked up at our house yet. I am visiting my in-laws right now, and doing a quick "hello" post.

I know I should just focus on unpacking, but I couldn't help it. I am painting a few areas of the house as well. When things calm down, I can't wait to share the before and after pictures.

Love you all and see you soon. :)

Sachiko

Happenings and Pictures from our mini family getaway

I can't believe my kids are starting school tomorrow. Their backpacks are all packed with new school supplies, we attended back-to-school night a couple nights ago and we had Rachel's birthday party yesterday. Then... also on Monday, Mr. TRH and I are going to close and claim the house as ours! I am not so excited about juggling the new school year and moving at the same time, but we are all so excited about the new chapter of our lives.

I don't think I am going to share the picture of our new house on my blog, because I am kind of funny that way. It is outside of my comfort zone I guess and I really hope that you, kind readers of Tea Rose Home will understand that. Though, as I am going to decorate my house, I will share the picture of the rooms, and I am very excited to share that process with you!

So, as you know from my last post, our family did a mini family getaway last weekend. We didn't tell our kids where we were going, but I didn't want to build up their excitement too much so I just told them that it is definitely NOT Disneyland. We just booked a hotel in downtown Salt Lake City for a couple days and wanted to have a nice family time. We were thinking something like taking them to a movie they wanted to see as a family (we watched "Despicable Me 2"), eat out at a bunch of different restaurants; play in the pool whenever they wanted. When we got to the hotel, they were so excited and loved the plan we had for the weekend. Also, when we got there we found we hit the jackpot...

I had no idea that there would be a Craft Lake City DIY Festival going on that weekend right in the back of the hotel. We spent quite a bit of time there just enjoying everything. There was music, many talented crafters and artists’ shops (which I bought a few things for our house!) and there were lots of food shops.

At the kids’ craft area, there were several activities they could do. The boys got to build a model car and Rachel created a sun visor.

At the science & technology building, we all experienced virtual reality... got to build a small robot (which was created with a 3D printer!) and they were able to touch an actual human brain! I will not post the pictures of that here on my blog though...

Our room had a nice city view (and a view of the craft lake city DIY festival, I was so tempted to go back to buy more stuff!), we all lined up by the window and admired the city lights and the moon we found between the buildings.

Oh yes, the food... I found a booth that sold amazing macaroons. I can't find her name card right now, but when I do and am able to I will blog about it. It was so good that I went back the next day to have more... thinking about it makes me drool... also I rediscovered that fresh squeezed lemonade is so good in the hot sun. We as a family tried African food for the first time and it was SO good!

The brunch we had at The Park Cafe was heavenly... We rolled out there all happy and full.

Our mini family getaway was relaxing but at the same time full of adventure. We did go see a movie, played board games in the room, played at the pool as we planned but also the unexpected discovery made our time in the city so much more enjoyable. And you know, we didn't need to go far, it was all under our noses. :)

Soaking Up the Summer 2

In a little over a week, we will finally move into our new house and at the same time the kids will be starting school! To reduce some of the craziness, I finished all the back to school shopping early. Running around with the kids, and spending lots and lots of time with them leaves very little time to sew and craft, but I have been making some jewelry that I will share with you soon! Making jewelry takes less space than sewing, I guess that is why I do that a lot nowadays.

Speaking of school... My oldest is entering a new phase in his life, it's called "Junior high". I am a bit anxious for him because that was the most difficult time for me looking back. Though at the same time, I feel like he is going to be OK. He is a very funny, kind, down to earth type of boy and makes friends easily.

He has been gone all last week to attend "Timberline" (it is a leadership training course for boy scouts). On Saturday, we all went to pick him up and attend the closing ceremony.

He was a bit dirty, but had a huge smile and was mingling with others. Every milestone like this, I feel like he is growing up way too fast. In my mind's eyes I can still see him as a 1 hour old infant in my arms. I have to admit, it pulls my heart string like no other!

You are so amazing Christopher, I am proud of you!

We are going to have a small family getaway this weekend, and the kids have no idea where we are headed. Hehehehe...

I hope you all are having fun this summer.

Happy creating memories!

Sachiko

E-book * Five and Ten Designs*

My friend Jessica from Sewing Rabbit and her talented friends created the sweetest e-book called "Five and Ten Designs".

I am so excited to share this information with you today! I looked through the whole book and it is filled with adorable clothing patterns. Are you looking for cute dress patterns? Looking for inspirations? Look no further, because it is available in her shop, please head over to check it out.

Happy sewing everyone!

Soaking Up the Summer

It has been about 4 months since we sold our house and moved in with my in-laws. Each time we visit the construction site, there is something new to look at and it is really exciting. So far, the exterior of the house is pretty much done, and the interior is starting to come together as well. There were some things that I wish we had up-graded, made different choices or paid closer (I mean a LOT closer)attention, but over all I love most of the things inside the house. My most favorite is the hardwood floor... oh, I am in love.

Boy... I don't know about you, but building a house can be an emotional rollercoaster if you let it. There are some ups and downs, but it looks like we can close on our house in middle of August. School is starting at the same time, so no matter how much I prepare for it, I know it will be chaotic for a while after we move in.

I am trying to see beyond that, and putting myself in my happy place. That would be, I am in a clean house and everything put away, my sewing room all organized and of course I am there sewing happily... I just cannot wait to get to that point.

This summer we are doing things a little differently with the kids, but we are still having fun. The last few weeks, we have been doing a lot on top of our usual summer activities.

We went to see "The Sound of Music" at an outdoor theater one night. The play started when there was still sunlight, but as the play progressed it grew darker. It created the perfect atmosphere for the end of the play, where the family was trying to escape while the Nazis were looking for them. Many flash light were moving among the audience. The kids have seen the movie, but watching the play was a whole new experience. They were so excited about it, we even bought the soundtrack a couple days later and are listening to the songs!

Also, we were asked to be in Merrill Osmond's Pioneer Pageant. In the play, they talk about the pioneers who came to Utah from different countries, Germans, Italians, Spanish, Jews, Scottish... and guess what, they needed a family to represent the Chinese. Well... technically I am Japanese, but we all look alike right? We thought it would be a really fun opportunity for us and we gladly said yes. With rehearsals and all, a total of 5 nights, we were there from 8 pm to about 12 am. It was kind of hard on the kids but at the same time we all had fun.

Here are some pictures of us:

Where is the of Mr. TRH? Oh, he was there alright, he wore a Chinese costume and everything. Gosh, he is one tough person to take a picture of. He always does goofy stuff so I won't be able to take his pic. I will tell you one thing though... he was the whitest (with red hair and beard!) Chinese person you'll ever meet.

I have been working on my projects but, I have been building memories with my family. :)

How are you all doing this summer? What have you been up to?

Review~ iPad 2 Case & Stand by Snugg

I was given the chance to review an iPad case from Snugg. They specialize in various cases for iPads, tablets, smartphones, and the Kindle. When I visited their website, I was quite impressed by their wide range of selections. I had a case for my iPad 2, and it was my favorite color, white; though, it was a bit lacking in functionality, and I was thinking that it would be fun to try a different color.

They had many colors to choose from, and after thinking it over for some time; I finally chose baby blue. The color reminds me of the blue sky or ocean; oh how fitting for the summer!

I have been using the case for about 2 weeks now, and I am very happy with the quality. Not only does it hold my iPad snuggly (like their company name), it folds into a stand that can be used two different ways which is very convenient.

It also has a stylus loop(I use it for my pen though) which I didn't have with my last case...

and a place I can keep name cards, and some papers with important memos.

I am more than pleased to say, I recommend their product to my friends. In fact, when I was looking through their site, I found the iPad case that I have been dreaming of. Now knowing their quality, I might purchase that one in the near future! (When was Mother's day? Oh, my birthday is coming in a few months!)

If you are looking for new cases for your devices, it is well worth your time to visit Snugg to explore your options. :)