Taste Trunk - Gourmet Trunk - August 2013

Outside of box. Very cute wax seal. BTW-Holy dark photos Batman!

Taste Trunk is a monthly food subscription box that comes in four different categories. {see below}

The Cost: $34.99 a month {$29 + $5.99 for shipping}

The Goods: 5 to 10 products in the category of your choice {you can switch up the trunk categories month to month} of Gourmet, Sweet, Healthy, or BBQ. They also include info on each company & product, as well as some coupon codes and recipes.

~*~*~*~

First look - Look at that packaging...I know it's going to be a good box when this is my first look!

 



Second First Look - Nothing is getting broken in this box!




The Goods

The info cards

{I'm really impressed with the amount of company information, and the recipes on these cards. Fantastic!}

 

 

The Jam Stand in Drunken Monkey Jam

 

{I've seen this jam swirling around in the subscription box world, and I'm excited to finally have a chance to try it! I make jam & jelly...and can say that there is nothing better than well made jam, until you add booze to it! ha! I love to add alcohol to my jams & jellies, and I can't wait to try this one!}

 

 

Iveta Scone Mix in Apricot

 

{I'm always on the fence about mixes - probably because I make most of our goods from scratch...I make a dang good scone! I've found really good reviews on this one though, so I'm going to save this little gem for a rainy day when I'm out of scone ingredients.}

 

Two Snooty Chefs Kansas City Steak Seasoning

 

{I've already tried this on two different things: club steaks that we then broiled - YUM! and oven roasted Chicken - Equally YUM! I see this lovely seasoning being used up very quickly in our house. Squish was even intrigued by this - see the bottom of the post.}



 

The Girl & The Fig Lavender Sea Salt

 

{I'm at a loss on this one. I have NO idea what to do with this. If it was Lavender Sugar...oh, okay I know what I'd use it on, but it's sea salt. I might try it on a veggie bake or something...hmmm.}



 

 

Cucina & Amore Pesto Alla Siciliana Sun-Dried Tomato

 

{I die...seriously, the people at Taste Trunk must have really done their research on me - of course, I'm sure they do research on each individual customer right?? This is such a good fit for me! This item right here is the reason why I kept my subscription in the gourmet category.}

 

 



 

 

Susan's Gourmet Salsa Relish in Mild

 

{I'm excited to try this. It looks delish. B-Real wrinkled his nose at this, but it's a "poop fruit" product - tomato...so I'll be able to enjoy this little baby all by myself!}

 

 

The Lowdown: I really loved all the items in this first box from Taste Trunk. It wasn't a huge value over what I paid, but it was on point. The items are new to me, and I got to discover some products that normally I wouldn't have access to where we live.

 

~*~*~*~

 

If you would like to sign up for your very own Taste Trunk, you can do so here. If you feel so inclined, put my name 'Jessica Potts' in the Special instruction section. :) 

 

Here's some cuteness for your consideration in the matter:

 

She loves the Kansas City Steak seasoning...that's mama's girl!

 **This post may contain company site links or affiliate links.**

The Must Haves...

...for 8 Months Old. 

 



1.) Nuby No-Spill Super Spout 2 Handle Cup

2.) BabyLegs

3.) Fisher Price Peek-a-Boo Blocks

4.) Plum Organics Super Puffs

5.) bumGenius 4.0 cloth diaper

 

~*~*~*~*~

 

I can't believe that Squish is almost 8 months old!!! Where has the time gone? 

 

These are my Top 5 Picks for Must Have items for her 8th month. 

 

The Nuby No-Spill Cup has been great, she loves using it, and it's got a softer spout so she can chew away.

 

The Babylegs come in handy for those quick diaper changes {no messing with trying to wrangle a squirmy baby into pants. They also protect her knees while she's crawling all over the place.
{You can also find these types of leggings in other brands, or you could make your own. I plan on posting a tutorial on how to make them...they are super easy!}

Fisher Price Peek-a-Boo Blocks are one of Squish's favorite toys right now. She'll chew on them, toss them around, and she has lots of fun knocking them over after B-Real or I stack them up.

Plum Organics...ahhh...I can't say enough about this brand!! They have some fantastic flavor combinations, I can pronounce all the ingredients {unlike some other brands}, and they are yum-o! I make all of Squish's food, but I've had some epic fails when it comes to trying to make her teething biscuits. So I decided to give these a try, plus they have cremes {non-dairy thank you very much!}, and easy disolve teether cookies. I believe they are gluten free...but don't quote me on that one as I'm a little sleep deprived this week.

bumGenius 4.0 cloth diapers have quickly become one of our favorite diapers. In the beginning some of the one size were super bulky, while others were too trim for our chunky thighed babe...but we've always been able to get a good fit with ALL of the bumGenius that we've tried. I do enjoy a couple other brands of cloth diapers...but that's for another day. :)   Lately we've been having some issues with Squish waking up in the night because she wants a diaper change...not such a big deal, if she were to go back to sleep after said diaper change - but she doesn't. She doesn't like feeling wet, but who can blame her?  The 4.0's are pockets, and I can stuff some super absorbant inserts in there, and the inner fabric has a stay dry feel to it. AWESOME! {I also really like their Freetimes for during the day, and their old style Elementals}

 

 

Is this week over yet???

I've been asking this question everyday this week.

~*~*~*~

I feel like I'm barely keeping my head above water the last few days.  Squish has decided that she's going to 'Party Party' at night time...like the good old days. 

{Okay, so the 'good old days' were only a few months ago, but when your kid doesn't sleep at night for the first 4 & 1/2 months of their life - causing you to run on 2 hours of sleep everyday, while going to work full time - your time seems to mash up all together.}

I'm at my wits end again, and don't know how I survived those first few months at all.  The last couple of nights I have caved and let her sleep on my chest a couple nights, and then last night she got to sleep in the bed next to me.  I'm hoping it's just a combo of a growth spurt & teething...that's a big hope.

~*~*~*~

Work has been hectic...mostly because I want to crawl under my desk and take a nap.  I'm in the process of getting everything restructured, caught up, and ready to go...for someone else to take over. 

Yes, that's right...I'm leaving work.  I will officially be at home with Squish starting September 7th {okay, so that's technically a Saturday...but the 6th is my last day}.  I'm excited - nervous - anxious - frustrated by this decision.

Things haven't been working out.  I put in for a promotion, was denied that promotion...but was still doing all the work of another person...put in for part time, denied that, and ended up deciding that I'm needed at home.  My milk production has suffered, because they are NOT supportive of my pumping schedule {even though I clock out for this}.  I'm losing sleep {long before Squish started to be up all night again} because I've had to add a couple MOTN pumping sessions to compensate for the lack of milk during the work day.  When I get home from work...it's go go go. I don't feel like I take the time to enjoy Squish {or B-Real}.  I'm so consumed with what needs to get done for the next day, that I'm not really living in the moment...I'm trying to rush through.  Then my weekends are spent catching up on all the stuff that needs to get done throughout the week, but that doesn't.  I don't take the time to enjoy my family on the weekends then like I should be doing. 

I'm salty about what transpired at work, but I know that I'm better off in the direction that I'm going now.  I can focus on my family, enjoying this precious time with my daughter, and can focus on my own business. 

~*~*~*~

There is lots coming up in the next month also {I can't believe it's the middle of August...really?!?!}...

September kicks off the Subscription Reviews - starting with food...nom nom nom!

I'll be posting a couple reviews in the coming week that I feel should be done before hand.  For every review post, I will also be posting other things as well. This isn't a 'review blog'...but I'm grateful for the opportunity to review these items.  Who doesn't like coming home to a bunch of fun packages??

There will be a 40 Bags in 40 Days adventure starting in September also. I can't wait until Lent to start this program, it must get done before the holidays! ha!  My house looks like a tornado hit...a tornado by the name of Squish!  It's time to do some purging!

Next month there will be plenty of DIY projects {I've got a list started that I want to tackle from Pinterest}, recipes, shop news, and much more.

You can see Pinterest ideas that I've already completed here.

Thanks for sharing in this adventure with me!

The Weekend is Coming...

...the weekend is almost here!!!

~*~*~*~

YAY! Fridays make me happy...mostly because I know that there are 2 days ahead that I'm not going to have to go work. ha!

I love being able to spend all day with my Squishy pants.

Here's a little something sweet to illuminate your Friday morning:

 

She was blowing kisses. She's so stinkin' adorable!

 

 

What Squish is Eating...

...or what she's smearing all over her face.

~*~*~*~

Last night I mixed up a lovely 'medley' of fruits and veggies for Squish.  She likes flavor combinations { or as B-Real would say 'a flavor explosion' } and I'm taking advantage of the fact that she'll eat just about anything right now. ;)

Here's what on the menu:

Baby Spinach
Banana
Peaches
Avocado
Blueberries

~*~*~*~

It looks like a big old gross mess, but it takes yum!  I taste everything I give to her.  If I wouldn't eat it, I don't serve it to her.  I'm hoping this will foster good eating habits, and that we'll be able to avoid severe food aversions with her. 

 

 

~*~*~*~

Feeding time...

 

~*~*~*~

 

 

 

What's on the menu in your house today?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hog-Washery & Cuteness & Fun Adventure

I've been telling myself all day that it's Tuesday - which it's not. It's Wednesday...and it's dreary...and I'm tired/stressed/crabby/want to be snuggled up with my little Squishy pants at home right now.

I could play for hours with her on the floor, just rolling around.

Oh, and she's crawling now...YAY!!

~*~*~*~

Tomorrow is August...YIKES!! How did it get to be August already?!?!? I'm behind, as usual! I'll be finishing up some last minute stuff for the photo shoot/mini sessions this Saturday (stay tuned this weekend for some sneaky peeks at the awesome set ups), then hopefully meeting up for some drinks or a play date with my high school 'mommy' friend Lindsay! Woot Woot!

This weekend is going to be a good one, this week however is another story. We are in the "negotiation" stage of figuring out my hours for work. They say they need someone full time (I call hog-washery), and I think it would be fine for me to work 3 days a week.

This morning upon dropping off Squish at her 2 day a week (non-familial) babysitter, I was informed that we'll need to go to full time status with her or lose her as a babysitter. BAH! I don't want to pay a babysitter for 5 days/week...it depletes my already dismal paycheck to ridiculously low wages, but I don't want to lose her either. I guess we'll have to see if they are going to let me work part time, or if I'll be with Squish everyday. I could honestly live with the latter.

~*~*~*~

 

Coming soon...Subscription boxes!! This deserves another 'Woot Woot'! I have already received notice that a few are on their way to me. :)  I'm stoked!

 

 ~*~*~*~

 

I have this idea...which is drawn from this site's fantastic idea. So I want to start doing this amongst my own blogging friends, make new blogging friends, and possibly get my non-blogging friends in on this. Who doesn't love getting fantastic items in the mail.

 

Basically it will follow the same style guidelines as the Cara Box Exchange rules.

 

Each person will sign up for a specific themed gift box each month. I'm on the fence on the value, although $15 seems do-able for most, plus you would have shipping costs on top of this.

 

Can be purchased or handmade items (which I love the idea).

 

You would get the chance to meet some great people.

 

Win - win, right?

 

So...anyone in for the adventure?? I'm thinking this would start in October or November.

 

Thoughts, comments, poo-poos? ha! 

 

~*~*~*~

 

To cap off this dreary Wednesday post...let's infuse some cuteness!

 

 

 

 

 

 



You're Welcome! ;) 

 





Oh, Monday!

Monday...today, that word will be used as a swear word! ha!

I'm not a big fan of Mondays. I never really had a problem with them before, and then I had Squish. Now, Mondays mean that I have to get up early, pack all our bags, and drop her off at a babysitter. This isn't any different than the four other days a week that I have to do this, but it notes the beginning of this monotonous routine every week.

Me getting frustrated because I didn't get enough done over the weekend (because I wanted to spend quality time with my family), and having to rush to do it in the morning, and then getting even more frustrated because I feel guilty for not being with her. I've been back to work full-time now since she was about four weeks old...just thinking about getting called back into work early after delivery STILL makes me bitter.

...but nobody wants to hear me get my mama panties in a bunch! ha!

So instead, I'll share something that I stumbled upon (yes, this lovely Monday morning...when I should probably be doing something productive at work) on one of my favorite blogs The Paper Mama.

A Mother's Prayer for Her Daughter, by Tina Fey

I just keep telling myself that soon enough I will be with Squish more than just on the weekends. I'm going to be going part-time at work. I'm not exactly sure how many hours I will be working...but for now I'm holding on to that, this dreadful Monday morning.

How is everyone else's Monday? Anyone else out there have a 'case of the Mondays'??