Loved + Blessed: An Encouraging Christian Faith-Based Subscription Box

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

We recently had the chance to review another month of an awesome subscription box service, Loved + Blessed:

Loved + Blessed is a Christian faith-based subscription box service that delivers a box of encouragement right to your door each month.

Each box revolves around a central theme and comes with a mini poster, a sticker, a purse-sized scripture card and a gift.

The theme for the June box was Hope.  My mantra for when things get tough has always been "This too shall pass" and I love that this message is conveyed in this month's box!

The special gift in the June box was a devotional titled "31 Days of Hope."  What an encouraging book!

The June box was simple and the message was powerful!  Life is worth living.  He has a plan and purpose.  Don't give up!

I've reviewed quite a few subscription services, but I've never come across one that filled this niche.  I definitely think there is room for Loved + Blessed in the subscription box market and I love that their mission is to deliver encouraging products that support a fantastic message!  

If that wasn't enough, Loved + Blessed gives a portion of the proceeds of each box sold to Union Rescue Mission, a charity that offers hope and healing to the homeless.  What an amazing cause!

At just $10 per month you can get your Loved + Blessed box or gift someone else with this monthly dose of encouragement today!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Spoil Your Pups with a Surprise My Pet Subscription!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Surprise My Pet is a great way to spoil your fur babies with quality toys and treats that are healthy and safe!  You pick the size of your dog out of 4 options based on weight and the folks at Surprise My Pet will put together an awesome box of goodies and ship them right to your door!  Your pooch will receive anything from toys, bones and all-natural treats.

Here is a peek inside last month's box that was sent to our pups who fall into the Large(50 lbs+) category:

3 great toys:

Adorable Pixel Pup Plush with Squeaker $18
4 Pack of Tennis Balls- Great for Fetch $6.50
Super Strong Tug-O-War Rope $5

3 great treats:

Grill-icious Dog Treats $13

Barkworthies Bully Stick $5

Toobles Beef Trachea $7

Each and every product was enjoyed by our pups!  They especially loved the selection of treats in this box.  What a fun variety!  Our box included over $54 in products, but subscriptions start at just $29  per month which makes Surprise My Pet an awesome value! Plus, a portion of the proceeds of each box sold goes towards non-profits that support animals in need.  

Get started spoiling your pups today at Surprise My Pet!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Therapik®: A Must Have for Your Summer First Aid Kit! + Giveaway

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Living along the "mosquito coast" of Texas, we were super excited about getting to try out Therapik®, a gadget designed to help eliminate the pain and itching of insect bites immediately.

"Therapik® is based on a very simple, scientifically proven principle. Most insect venom is thermolabile (sensitive to heat). Therapik®'s patented technology delivers heat in the specific temperature range necessary to neutralize the venom from over 20,000 different species of insects and sea creatures."

Therapik® is so simple to use, even my kiddos can do it themselves.  After you've been bitten or stung, place the cylindrical opening on the affected bite or sting area.  Activate the Therapik® by keeping the large blue button depressed for as long as the heat is bearable on the skin.  The average application time is approximately 30 seconds. If pain persists,Therapik® may be reapplied to the bite or sting until relief is obtained, but we never needed more than one application to make the pain disappear.  

I'm pretty sure our mosquitoes have become resistant to every brand of repellent and natural remedies as well.  We cover the kiddos from head to toe before going outside and even if they only go out for a few minutes, they come back in with several bites.  The Therapik® treatment really does work immediately and has kept our family itch-free!  Therapik® also works on ant bites and bee stings, among other insect bites and stings and can even help relieve the sting of a jellyfish, another fairly common occurrence here on the coast.   Therapik® is a small, portable, hand-held, battery-powered device, which makes it great for taking in the car or in the beach bag on family outings this summer.  I know we will always keep ours handy!

Find out more at  Therapik®!

One ABCD Diaries reader will win a  Therapik® of their own!  Enter below:

Go Gluten Free With Hodgson Mill!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Hodgson Mill has been offering fantastic grain products for years, but recently they have really amped up their gluten free product line, adding 18 innovative products to their extensive line of whole grain foods this year alone!  Super grains like Sorghum, Quinoa, and Kamut® Khorasan Wheat are now offered as pure, high-quality single-items, as well as formulated into quick & easy side dishes and a new hot cereal. Quality gluten free starches important for gluten free baking are also now available.  These 2015 additions build on Hodgson Mill’s 2014 release of many successful new products, including Flax Chia Blend, Quinoa & Brown Rice Sides, and Ultragrain® with Quinoa Pasta.  The new products include:

Gluten Free, Non-GMO Cornstarch

Gluten Free Tapioca Starch

Gluten Free Potato Starch

Pearled Sorghum

Pearled & Cracked Sorghum

Buckwheat Groats/Hearts

Quinoa – Red, White, Black, and Tri Color

Quinoa Flour

Sorghum, Brown Rice & Quinoa Side Dishes in 5 flavors: Southwest, Parmesan Butter, Pesto Herb, Rosemary & Garlic, and Chipotle

Steel Cut Oat, Sorghum & Quinoa Hot Cereal

Hodgson Mill also has over 100 Items that are Non-GMO Project Verified and the website boasts 3 pages of gluten free products!  We got to try out several of these, but our favorite was the Gluten Free Cornbread Mix:

It was so easy to mix up, with just a few wet ingredients, and so versatile!  We like our cornbread with an extra kick, so we added a chopped jalapeno.  It was delicious and so moist, without being grainy and crumbly which is my issue with most gluten free baking mixes.

The pasta (elbows and angel hair) cooked up nice and al dente, not sticky at all.  We also enjoyed the Brown Rice and Quinoa Mix and with so many flavors to choose from, there is one for every meal!  A quick and tasty side dish for sure:)  The Steel Cut Oats are great for a hearty breakfast and create the perfect texture for a creamy, hot cereal dish.

Whether you are eating gluten free for health reasons or looking for traditional mixes and other handy kitchen helpers, check out the great selection at Hodgson Mill!  Hodgson Mill products can be found at grocers nationwide.

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Celebrate Shark Week with Fun Products from Discovery!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Discovery's 28th annual Shark Week, is in full swing!  This monumental week officially started last night and will continue through the 11th.  To get you in the spirit and allow you to celebrate Shark Week long after this week's shows conclude, Discovery offers a full lineup of Shark Week products that are sure to make a splash with fans!

"Every year Shark Week takes fascinated viewers on a journey to the depths of the sea uncovering the secrets of the ocean’s top predator. Discovery’s longest-running programming event thrills fans of all ages who are fascinated by the often misunderstood shark. More than just a week-long ratings bonanza, Shark Week has become a pop culture phenomenon with a massive buzz factor."

We added a little fun to our Shark Week kickoff celebration with a cool hooded towel (available at Target) and a fun 100 piece puzzle:

Other awesome products in the Shark Week lineup include:

Cute Plush Sharks available at Toys R Us:

 Sharkopedia: The Complete Guide to Everything Sharks, available at Barnes and Noble, Amazon and DiscoveryStore.com

Find everything you need to enjoy Shark Week year round at participating retailers nationwide!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Join the Tomato Revolution with Pomi!

**Complimentary products received in exchange for our honest review.  All opinions are ours and ours alone**

Pomi has started a tomato revolution!  

"Pomì tomatoes have become a staple and a trusted brand for all those who seek premium quality, Italian tomatoes conveniently sealed in a BPA-free, stay-fresh package, ready to use anytime they want to add the fresh taste of garden-ripe, Italian tomatoes to all their favorite recipes."

Pomi products are made using high quality, Italian tomatoes that are processed just after picking, right next to the tomato fields!  This makes them super fresh tasting.  All of Pomi's tomato products are 100% natural and contain no preservatives, citric acid, artificial flavors or added water and are not from concentrate making them a healthy choice for your family.

The stay fresh containers give them a longer shelf life.  Pomi has several products to choose from.  We sampled Strained Tomatoes, Chopped Tomatoes, Finely Chopped Tomatoes and Marinara.

We used the Marinara on a quick pizza.  

It was fantastic!  So fresh tasting and spiced just right!

We used some of the other tomatoes in our monthly pot of red sauce.  We always make a big batch and freeze it for use later in the month.  Then we can pull it out to use as a pasta or meat sauce, pizza sauce or dipping sauce.

I was very pleased with the results.  Pomi tomatoes definitely tasted fresher to me than canned tomatoes and I loved the size of the boxes...great for large batch cooking.  You can always store left over Pomi tomatoes in a plastic or glass container in your fridge if you don't need them all at once though.  They hold their fresh taste for days!

We will definitely be using these delicious Pomi products any time we need tomatoes in a recipe!

You can find Pomi at grocers nationwide.

Find out more at Pomi!

Disclosure: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

@LEGOKidsFest comes to Austin Sept 4-6! + Giveaway

LEGO KidsFest is back!  Mark your calendars for September 4-6 at the Austin Convention Center.  The event can sell out quickly so be sure to buy tickets in advance online.  Tickets start at just $19.50!

 LEGO KidsFest brings all of the creative hands-on, minds-on fun of LEGO building and experiences together in one activity- and entertainment-packed family event for children of all ages and builders of all skills and interests.

Here's a sneak peek of the fun to be had at this year's LEGO KidsFest:

One of MY followers will win (2) tickets to for the opening night session on Friday, April 17, 2015 (4-8:30pm). I encourage you to LIKE and Follow LEGOKidsFest on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram for all the latest ticketing updates as this event has been selling out in prior cities. Must be 18 to enter, 1 entry per day allowed, random drawing by USFG!

Winner will be randomly chosen by USFG on Thurs, July 23 and announced on my Blog and notified via email,

ENTER HERE - http://www.usfamilyguide.com/LEGO_KidsFest/?blogid=2540

Good Luck!