50 Dangerous Things: Book Review

Summer has officially started in our house. It's is roasting outside and we're trying to find ways to stay busy both indoors and out. While we're excited about the every day stuff, going to the library, making popsicles, and playing games, sometimes we want something a little more exciting to do.

We were recently introduced to the book 50 Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) by Gever Tulley and Julie Spiegler. It's filled with ideas on how to teach your child about safety by allowing them to experience risk. The book encourages kids to experiment, to answer the "what ifs" by actually acting on the ideas, in order to give them better problem-solving skills.50 Dangerous Things includes a variety of activities, skills, projects, and experiences. Suggestions in the book include super-gluing your fingers together, exploding a bottle in the freezer, learning to tightrope walk, and damming up a creek, among others. Each idea includes a how to, a risk assessment (could cause shock, property damage, etc), and room to take notes. There's also a section that explains the merits of each activity.

As my son read through the book, I heard many giggles and several repeats of "I'm not going to do that," as he was shocked and amused by many of the ideas. But, he was also very excited to add several of the ideas to our summer to-do list.

The book offers a fresh perspective on taking risks and trying new things. It offers easy to follow directions, as well as warnings for parents and children to abide by so that no one gets seriously injured. I have a feeling we'll be pulling it off the book shelf several times this summer.

Buy It
50 Dangerous Things (you should let your children do) is available now for $18. You can also visit the the 50 Dangerous Things website to learn more.

A copy of the book was provided for review. All opinions are our own.

Summer Snacking with Sargento

The end of school and beginning of summer means lots of chaos in our house. Their are tons of special activities at school, field trips, soccer practices, and excitement over upcoming vacations. All this planning and running around means I have little time to think ahead about dinner, let alone snacks.

Luckily, we were recently introduced to Sargento Fridge Packs. These easy-to-spot and store packs of cheese sticks fit easily into our refrigerator and allow kids and grown-ups access to a healthy snack. The well-designed Fridge Packs allow the cheese to be displayed, rather than tossed into a drawer, and I don't know about you, but I often grab the first thing I see when I'm hungry for a snack.Sargento Fridge Packs are offered in 3 flavors, Light String Cheese, Colby-Jack Cheese Sticks, and Mild Cheddar Cheese Sticks. They, like all Sargento cheese snacks, are 100% natural and never processed.

I am definitely partial to the Light String Cheese, and have been eating one as an afternoon snack most days. But all the varieties are going fast around here. I especially had to giggle when someone opened the fridge and was excited to see we had the "good cheese."
Spring Clean Your Fridge
Sargento recommends spring cleaning your fridge and your snacking habits this year. Making healthy choices isn't nearly as hard when you keep things like fruit, veggies, and cheese in easily accessible places.Buy It
Sargento Fridge Packs (containing 18 sticks) are available in most groceries stores for $6.99

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Sargento and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.