KOOLIO Personal Beverage Cooler Review

Noah and I love to go to the beach and to the pool. Thankfully we live in a place where it is pretty warm most of the time. Even if we can’t get in the water at the beach we like to walk on the beach, collect shells and play in the sand. We also go for walks around town and go to the park to play. Like most people who do a lot of activity we always are thirsty.  There aren’t too many places to buy something to drink so we always bring our own, it is cheaper that way too.  However I either have to do three things because we do live in a warmer climate.  Number one: drink it really fast, which makes me thirsty later on.  Number two: drink a not so cold drink, which when you are hot and thirsty that doesn’t really help.  Number three: I have to carry a cooler.  Now, if I were going to a picnic, I wouldn’t mind bringing a cooler along. However when Noah and I go to the pool. We have so many other things to bring like noodles, towels, and his snorkel and mask. A cooler is just one more thing to carry and they are heavy. We are normally not at the pool for too long. A cooler would pretty much be pointless.   Another thing I have noticed when Noah and I are walking and we have beverages is that I end up carrying it, because it’s too cold for Noah to carry at first.  So, I am double fisted with drinks freezing my hands off until the sun inevitably warms it up. 

I received a really cool product to try out. It is called KOOLIO Personal Beverage Cooler. We all know about the standard drink holders, usually with some business’s name on it.  They are usually made out of foam or cheap fabric. While they do keep your hands from getting cold, they don’t really keep your drink cold. In theory you would think they would, but we all know they don’t.  KOOLIO came up with an awesome product that enhances the typical drink holder. Instead of just putting your drink in a foam thing, you open up the system and insert a freezer pack.  The freezer pack keeps it cold. It’s like you have ice in it, without the melting and watering down.  They give you two freezer packs with each KOOLIO Personal Beverage Cooler so when the first one is no longer cold you can use the other one. I tend to forget to put Noah’s lunch ice pack and his ouchie pack back in the freezer right away. So it is great to have a backup just in case. It also comes in ten colors.  My favorite color is the green one while Noah likes the red one. You no longer have to worry about drinking out of someone else’s drink. All you do is remember your color. This is great if you have parties or picnics with many people.  

Here is some information from KOOLIO:

• Holds most standard 12-ounce cans or bottles
• Colorful band for comfort and grip
• Non-slip ring on bottom so your KOOLIO  stays in place
• Hole in bottom of base unit for easy removal of empty cans or bottles
• Easy twist-off lid to keep your gel pack secure
• Non-toxic gel that does not freeze solid to provide a secure fit and maximum cooling effect
• Does not contain BPA, Lead or Phthalates

KOOLIO would be a great gift for anyone who does a lot of entertaining, lives in a warm climate or really anyone who likes to drink cold drinks. I use them around the house too.  I keep my soda cold with them, I usually don’t chug a soda, I tend to drink it over time and I don’t want to keep running to the refrigerator every time I need a sip. It also works for my beer drinking readers. It will fit glass bottles of beer or Twisted Tea, which is my best friend’s drink of choice. We are also in football season and it would be perfect to take tailgating or even to watch the game. It is also an affordable gift. It’s only $9.99 even though it is worth so much more than that. Think about how many warm bottles of beer you have ended up throwing away. KOOLIO will help you save money by not wasting expensive beverages.

For more information and to purchase KOOLIO, please visit the KOOLIO website.

Thank you to KOOLIO who provided me with samples to try out in order to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Saving money this Christmas

Christmas is an expensive time for everyone, so it is important that we save cash wherever we can. Here are some effective money-saving tips that will help you out this season:

Look out for store discounts

It has been reported that the UK alone will spend £10 billion pound online this year, so the total for the world is set to be astronomical - and it’s easy to see why. Compared to shopping in store, there are a range of bargains and discounts to be had online.

Before I purchase anything online, I always do a quick search for voucher codes. I simply type the name of the store and ‘discount code’ into a search engine and I can usually find some great discounts. I’ve saved so much money over the years!

Like many other people, I am looking forward to all of the Black Friday savings to be had, although I don’t think I’m quite cut out to battle through the stores. Instead, I’ll be enjoying it online. Amazon have had some pretty great discounts in the past, so I am excited to see what they’ll have to offer this year.

DIY

Shop-bought cards and gifts can be expensive, bumping up your Christmas budgets. While you will inevitably have to fork out for gifts at some point, there are some great DIY options too that could save you some cash.

Not many people send Christmas cards nowadays, but it is a nice touch especially if you are sending them to people who live far away. If you have kids like me, you could get your little ones to hand make a few cards – your friends and relatives will love the personal touch.

I’m tempted to put my computer skills to the test and try a spot of card designing on my PC. The only problem is that our printer is not very good, so I’ll need to invest in a new one before I start designing – there’s no point in having a beautiful card that I can’t send to anyone!

As United Carlton is based in the UK, I know I can’t order from there, but I have been looking on their website to get some ideas on what printer to go for. They’re printing specialists so I know that they will only recommend the best.

As you know, I love to bake and cook. I’ve found this recipe for gingerbread men online. They look delicious and the ingredients will be much cheaper to buy than ready-made ones, plus I’m sure Noah wouldn’t mind giving me a helping hand! I may even dish these out to our friends and family as extra Christmas gifts!

Top Chef University To-Go App Review

 

As you all know I love to cook and bake. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I find it extremely therapeutic and fun. Even though I have been cooking and baking for as long as I can remember, baking bread from scratch since I was nine years old, I don’t know how to do everything. I am still learning techniques and how to do different things in the kitchen. I believe that anyone can cook with the right guidance. I just downloaded a new app called Top Chef University To- Go. I have watched Top Chef before and I really like the show.  I think this app is brilliant because it is like they are in the kitchen with you.  I like to learn visually and since there are video cooking lessons it helps especially if you don’t know how to do a certain technique and without spending hours on Google trying to figure out what different words mean you can just watch and cook along. 

I have always wanted to go to Culinary School. I wanted to be a chef when I was younger. I used to pretend I had my own cooking show. Now with this app I can go to cooking school from home in my own kitchen. I don’t have to worry about going to class or even do it on a schedule. I could learn at 3 am if I wanted to.  Top Chef University To-Go has great videos. They are fun to watch.  I learned what I need to have in my kitchen, I have always wondered if I have all the tools I need. I am missing a few of the items. One of them being an oven thermometer, I always just trusted the oven.  I need to get one ASAP.   There is also a lesson in introduction to Knife Skills. I was scared of knives for a very long time. I am not sure why, I never cut myself but once I figured out how to use one properly, I am able to do so. I am not sure the proper way to peel an apple. I end up wasting some of the apple.  I think it might have to do with the fact that I am left handed. This Halloween, Noah and I carved a pumpkin, well both of the pumpkin knives broke. I wasn’t done carving so I was forced to use a sharp knife. I managed to carve it without losing any body parts or cutting myself. I know watching the Top Chef University To-Go videos it will help me become more confident in using knives in the kitchen.   

I multitask all the time so I have to make sure I am really paying attention as I do in the kitchen.  It is really important to be safe in the kitchen and have the safety precautions in place so no one gets hurt. 

Here is more about Top Chef University To-Go from the developer:

-Cook and learn from the top 11 chef’testants at Top Chef University To-Go

-Access over 200 lessons organized into 20 courses

-Watch lesson videos in high definition

 For more information please visit Top Chef University To-Go

Be sure to Like Top Chef University To-Go on Facebook

Follow Top Chef University To-Go on Twitter

  

Top Chef University To-Go is available on iTunes for iPhone. It doesn’t matter if you are just learning to cook, if you have been cooking for years or if you consider yourself a professional, you can definitely learn something from this app. It is a must have app if you are in the kitchen regardless of your skill set.