American Heritage Girls ~ Another year another great adventure!

American Heritage Girls

I LOVE American Heritage Girls. If you are interested in learning more about American Heritage Girls, visit their website at www.American Heritage Girls.org

My two girls and I started with our local AHG troop in August of 2015. Since then we have enjoyed many fun adventures!  My youngest started out as a 2nd year Tenderheart, and my older daughter started as a 2nd year Explorer.

I began as not only an AHG Mom but also an Assistant Unit Leader.  I have also taken on the Assistant Treasurer position as well as help coordinate different outings and events and occasionally teach as the need arises.

My family believes in the core values of the AHG program – growing women of integrity through service to God, family, community, and country.

While merit badges are not the focus of AHG, my daughters enjoy this aspect and the sense of accomplishment that brings.  With each year in AHG, my girls earn approx 5-8 badges during our troop meetings and at home.  Then with Summer Camp they each earned additional badges. 

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AHG helps girls acquire skills that will assist them in all areas of life.  These skills may include how to use a computer, sew on a button, protect themselves, learn about their ancestors or what it takes to be an astronaut.



Girls will learn many skills as they earn AHG Achievement Badges.  The badge program allows them to learn from older girls, and also gives them the chance to teach younger girls!





The American Heritage Girls Achievement Badge Program is divided into six "Frontiers."



These frontiers, when offered together during the year, offer a well-rounded program.  Each badge can be earned at three different levels (Tenderheart, Explorer, and Pioneer/Patriot).



The six Frontiers of the American Heritage Girl program include:



Our Heritage                Personal Well-Being                Family Living

The Arts                     Science and Technology           Outdoor Skills

As we start our second year with AHG, I just wanted to spread the word on how much we love this adventure and the morals and lessons that the girls learn.  They make new life long friends and grow in their faith and integrity.  To find out more about American Heritage Girls or to find a troop near you, check out their website at: https://www.americanheritagegirls.org/

Emergency Survival Kit 2 Pack by True Valor ~ Don't go hiking, camping or Scouting without this cool Kit! #TBLSurvivalKit

Emergency survival kit two pack by True Valor.

These grenade style survival kits are a must have for any outdoor enthusiast. These kits fit in your pocket or clip them to your bag or belt loop.



The carabiner is easily removed and the whistle is ready to use at any time. 10 feet of paracord wrapped tightly around all of your essential tools.



A fantastic gift for any hiker, camper, survivalist, boy scout, or american hertitage girl go bag bugout bag. Makes a great stocking stuffer too.

* These kits are wrapped very tightly and

should not be unraveled until necessary as re-braiding the paracord is a practiced skill .

* The contents of these kits are all wrapped in an additional piece of aluminum foil to keep them together. A small resealable bag is also inside the kit, in which all contents of kit can be kept if unraveling and use of the kit becomes necessary

* Several tools in the kit are very sharp and the weights are made of lead. Not recommended for children to use contents of the survival kit. Wash hands after use of these tools.

* Paracord is very strong but the paracord and carabiner are not intended for climbing

Review:

Ok I have to be completely honest - I did not take one apart because I plan to keep using it as an emergency kit for our Boy Scout and AHG outings.  We have another campout and hike coming up and I didn't want to try to figure out how to get it put back together! LOL



These tightly woven kits are amazing.  Them come ready to use . . . a carabiner on top to clip it to a backpack, belt loop or string, an emergency whistle hanging on the bottom in a bright orange easy to see color . . . and in between! you guessed it - lots of great emergency gear all tightly wrapped up inside a 10 ft long paracord.



The kit is strong and tightly wound so nothing will come out until intended.  Inside the paracord grenade is a large amount of emergency items.

Included is:

10 feet of paracord

Emergency whistle

carabiner

fire starter and tinder

knife (safely wrapped)

alcohol pad

aluminum foil

needle

2 safety pins

fishing line

fishing hooks, floats, weights and swivels

iron wire

This is a wonderful kit to have on hand in any outdoor emergency.  From day hikes to backpacking cross country.  From overnight campouts to high adventure.  A must have item for any outdoorsman (or woman).  Check out more info here.

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

Get Clean Safe drinking water anywhere, anytime with your own lightweight #PersonalWaterFilter

About this product:

This Portable Water Filter Could Save Your Life

Could you survive without clean water?

- Have you wondered what would happen if you ran out of water? 

- Do you ever go camping, hiking or backpacking? 

- Do you have a backup plan if your water

becomes contaminated? 

- Do you have a bug out bag for emergencies?

This Personal Water Filter is a Lightweight Water Filtration System (weighs less than 3 ounces)

Get all of the benefits of a heavy duty water filter, at a fraction of the size and cost.

Activated Lightweight Carbon Advanced Filtration designed for hikers, campers, survivalists, and preppers

- Filter up to 396 gallons of drinkable water with one straw. (30% more efficient than standard portable filters.) 

- Chemical Free technology for healthy water intake. 

- Lightweight and easy to store. Perfect for Bug Out Bags. 

- Lifetime Guarantee. 

- Ranked the #1 "must have" item for backpacking in 2015





Review:

With my son in Boy Scouts and my husband and son both camping a LOT, we have started being more aware of emergency supplies that are necessary to have on hand for different outdoor scenarios.  Between disaster planning, emergency supplies and first aid supplies, we are frequently looking for good quality products to  have for scout outings and family emergency needs.



Now, we are not true "preppers" yet, but are working towards trying out and acquiring items needed to keep our family healthy and safe during nearly any situation.



Clean drinking water is one of the top 4 Necessities of life.  Being in emergency situations or on a camp out or hike, running out of clean water can be life threatening.  Having a safe, quick option to get clean drinking water is a must - plus it must be lightweight enough to carry in a hiking backpack.

With this Survival Water Filter, we have a lightweight, easy to pack/carry filter that will clean up to  nearly 400 gallons of water with each filter.  I am amazed by how well it works.

Since it did not arrive before my son left for Scout Summer Camp, I had to try it out in a unique way.  I took fresh dirt from a potted plant and stirred it into clean bottled drinking water.  I then used the filter to "drink" from that dirty water - since I needed to prove it was clean - I spit out the water into another glass so I could see and take a photo of the water after it had been through the filter.



Not only is there no dirt, but the water has no taste - I mean some bottled waters have a sort of "taste" to them, but this water was just clean and refreshing.  This filter is definitely going into our camping supplies, and we will be purchasing a few more for our emergency kits as well!  This blogger HIGHLY recommends this survival filter!

 Dirt mixed in

 before and after

Survival Water Filter works!

Check it out for yourself on Amazon.



*Q & A Time:



1. Do you have an emergency kit for your family?

2. If no, are you thinking of making one?  If Yes, do you have a type of water filter included?

3. What appeals to you about this Survival Water Filter?

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion through Tomoson. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

{Review} Cold Steel Kudu Knife ~ Strong, Durable, Reliable Swords, Knives and More!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Swords of the East, Inc. offers a large selection of functional Japanese Samurai
swords and authentic, functional katana for collectors and practicing
martial artists. They also offer a selection of knives, American War Swords, and much much more.



You'll also find premium Japanese swords from Cold
Steel, Paul Chen swords by Hanwei, authentic Samurai swords hand-forged
from Imperial Forge and Thaitsuki Nihonto, and competition-grade katana
swords from

Generation 2 and Last Legend.

For this review, I was sent a wonderful knife, Cold Steel Kudu, from Swords of the East ~ http://www.swordsoftheeast.com/



The Cold Steel Kudu, has a Krupp 4116 Stainless steel flat ground blade, heat treated to
Rc 56-57 for better edge holding ability and ease of re-sharpening, and
a thin razor sharp edge. For safety, it has a thoroughly tested 
locking mechanism and will hold the blade rigidly
open until you decide to close it by pulling up on the ring attached to
the back spring.



The handle of the Kudu also reflects our dedication to
making an effective and affordable folder. It’s made of 43%
glass reinforced Zytel®. This material has proven to be
extremely strong, and is stiff enough to compliment the blade and spring
when locked open. Plus, the gripping surface has a wood grain texture
for traction and features an attractive polished steel Kudu horn emblem
for a little extra flair! It makes a wonderful work
knife, utility knife, bait knife, or hunting knife.





My Review:

I have to agree with everything in the description except for one small issue.  To fold the blade back down, I

have to pull very hard on the attached ring, while pushing on the knife handle and blade at the same time.  It is not easy to do and often hurts my fingers a bit to do it.  Yet, I like that it is not easy to fold, because then I know it will remain strong and secure until I choose to close it.  So it is both annoying and good at the same time.



The blade is strong and cuts through anything I try it on.  Naturally I did not try it on concrete or anything, just food, paper, cardboard and a small stick in the backyard.  But it stays sharp and strong with every use.  I can not see it being used as a pocket knife as it is too long to comfortably be carried in a pocket, but my husband and son have both decided it will make a great knife for Boy Scout Camping Trips.  So, since there is only 1 knife and 2 of them, they will have to figure out who gets it when - lol.  Maybe I'll buy them another one from SOTE - I'd love to get this one for them:  Bear Grylls Scout Knife

Both the Kudo and the Bear Grillis would make great Father's Day or Birthday Gifts - or a Great gift for a Boy Scout who just earned a new level!!  Have a collector in the family?  Check out SOTE's HUGE selection of swords as well!

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review using Tomoson.com. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

The Pasta Shoppe Review ~ Pasta with personality

I love good food - then again, most people I know enjoy eating as much as I do.  But as most people like myself, there are certain foods that I love to eat more than others. . . and those that are fun and fanciful as well as yummy and filling top the list of foods I love.



When I found The Pasta Shoppe website and started browsing the fun and fanciful pastas, I was hooked.  But, how do they taste?  Will they hold up to my family's high standards of taste and enjoyment?



Hmm, well, the best way to find out is a real, live taste test. So, of course I contacted them to find out if I could get a few products for review.  They were nice enough to send me a selection that catered to my family . .

. something for each one of us (except Daisy . . . she's not allowed to eat people food, poor doggie).

 

We have the Spinach Basil Garlic Angel hair pasta nests for sophisticated adult tastes, then the fun and fantastic Cheesy Farm Pasta mix, Holiday specials: Snowman Pasta, Reindeer Noodle Soup mix and Wintertime Chilli mix.  For the Illinois Fans, some Illinois fan pasta mix, and some kid friendly favorites: Zoo Animals and Peace, Love & Happiness shaped pasta.

So, what to make first?  Something for the kiddos of course - a favorite, Cheesy Peace Sign pasta!

 Yep, those are Peace Signs, Hearts and Doves in pasta form!  My girls both Love this one!

 Even my 12 year old said it was yummy, though he would prefer baseball shapes to Peace signs!

Then, something fun for Mom to eat for lunch while the kiddos are at school . . .

my favorite Italian Ranch Cold Pasta Salad using the Illinois Fan Pasta . . . personal recipe:

A dash or three of italian salad dressing, way more dashes of my favorite Ranch dressing

Black olives, Fresh Garden grown grape tomatoes, some green olives thrown in for color and contrast

and flavor goodness . . . refrigerate for a couple hours to cool.

then eat and enjoy! 

(for those who like onions and peppers - those make great adds too)

And finally, since this post is already long - one last yummy review . . . 

for the adults - some delicious Spinach Basil Garlic Angel hair pasta nests

Served with Alfredo sauce with spices on top to add some color and flavor . . . my husband's favorite of all the pastas.  He travels quite a bit for work and has eaten at some amazing restaurants.  He said this was as good as some of those restaraunt pastas and he'd love to have this again and again!

I have to agree.  I enjoyed every pasta we tried, and we've eaten nearly all of them already, but this one is my personal favorite as well.

 Now, as if that isn't enough of a reason to go buy some fun pasta, how about the fundraising opportunities offered as well?  Oh, yes!  You or your group can raise money for your troop, group or event through The Pasta Shoppe's fundraising program . . . www.funpastafundraising.com  A great way to share your love of pasta with friends, neighbors and family and raise money for your organization too!



 With a variety of options, there is something for nearly anyone at The Pasta Shoppe ~ Seasonal Pastas, Gluten-free, college teams, pasta nests, meringues, gift sets and more . . .

Disclosure: I received free the item(s) mentioned in this post in exchange for my honest review through the sponsor mentioned in the post. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”.

TETON sports Internal Frame Backpack GIVEAWAY on Mom Loves 2 Read

 

Teton
Sports is a great website that supplies many of the most common needs
for campers, hikers, scouts and more.  My son Josh has become a Boy
Scout (previously a Cub Scout) this past spring and was excited to
finally go to Boy Scout Camp last month.  The only problem we had was
figuring out how he was going to carry all of his stuff for an entire
week by himself for nearly a mile over three LARGE hills.  We were
fortunate to get a second-hand external frame backpack as his main pack
and use a regular school backpack as his second one.

Many
of his friends had nice Internal frame backpacks to use.  I thought
that by next year I would make sure he had one of the internal frame
ones as the External frame seemed very heavy and cumbersome for him. 
Though it did have a lot of room for his supplies and clothes!



To read our Review - Click HERE!



NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY - Teton only ships to the lower 48 US states (no PO boxes) - 18+ only may enter/win!  Winner will receive an Internal Frame Backpack like the one in our review from TETON sports!  Giveaway will end 7/31 midnight (CST) - winner will be notified via email within 1 week of contest end and will have 48 hours to reply and claim prize.

Entry-Form

Mom Loves 2 Read is an affiliate or ambassador for one or more products/websites listed or banners posted throughout this blog.  If a personal review is written, I have either received that item free in exchange for my honest review or may have received monetary compensation for the post. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting.For more info, see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.

Get your camping supplies, scout supplies and more from Teton Sports ~ Review on Mom Loves 2 Read

 

Teton Sports is a great website that supplies many of the most common needs for campers, hikers, scouts and more.  My son Josh has become a Boy Scout (previously a Cub Scout) this past spring and was excited to finally go to Boy Scout Camp last month.  The only problem we had was figuring out how he was going to carry all of his stuff for an entire week by himself for nearly a mile over three LARGE hills.  We were fortunate to get a second-hand external frame backpack as his main pack and use a regular school backpack as his second one.

Many of his friends had nice Internal frame backpacks to use.  I thought that by next year I would make sure he had one of the internal frame ones as the External frame seemed very heavy and cumbersome for him.  Though it did have a lot of room for his supplies and clothes!



When TetonSports.com offered me a chance to review for them, I chose an Internal Frame Backpack as my review product.  Unfortunately it was too late for camp, but still worth trying out!

The Scout3400 Internal Frame Backpack is a full 55L and only weighs 4.5 pounds (that is at least 3 pounds less than his other pack).  It is hunter green - perfect scout color - and very durable.  It has numerous pouches, pockets, zippers and places to tie or strap on more gear!  We can't wait to take it camping!  It has so many compartments for stuff that I don't think we could ever fill them all!  And, best of all, it comes with a handy rain cover!  That would have come in handy on the first day of camp when most of the scouts' gear got soaked by a random rainstorm just as they unloaded all the packs!

This amazing backpack comes with some great features:

Multi–position torso adjustment fits wide range of torso sizes (it can fit myself, my son, and my

husband)

Hydration Capacity (not included) - (it has a small pocket where you can put in a hydration pouch)

Thick mesh lumbar pad for comfort and airflow against your back (my son loves this!)

Side and front compression straps to secure sleeping bag, pad, or tent (perfect for taking extra stuff!)

Front and top bungee stash storage for jackets, shoes, or rope

The back and hip padding made of durable open–cell foam with lumbar
pad and molded channels provides maximum comfort and allows airflow (much more comfortable than external frame packs!)

Integrated bright yellow water–resistant rainfly

Josh and I both absolutely love this backpack.  My husband even checked it out (inside and out) and says it is a much better one that his and is better made!  It also has more pockets, and even though it is a bit "smaller" it has more clips and straps to add gear to than the one my husband uses.



So for your camping, scouting, hiking or outdoor and travel needs, check
out Teton Sports first!  With a wide range of gear available they are a
great place for more than just backpacks! Now he wants one from Teton as well!Josh has his eye on a camp pad from Teton Sports for next year's Scout Camp adventures!



You can find Teton Sports on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube!

Mom Loves 2 Read is an affiliate or ambassador for one or more products/websites listed or banners posted throughout this blog.  If a personal review is written, I have either received that item free in exchange for my honest review or may have received monetary compensation for the post. Regardless ~ All my reviews are my honest and personal opinion and are not influenced nor reviewed by the sponsor prior to posting. Mom Loves 2 Read is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision 16 CFR, Part 255 "Guides Concerning the Endorsements amd Testomonials in Advertising." If you have any questions or comments, please see my FTC disclosure or Review Policy.