Reusable Review, insulated groceries!

I've been using the Earth Tote insulated shopping bag for the past couple of months, and can definitely say that it's become my favorite insulated bag. I've tried quite a few, and while they worked the way they were supposed to, the Earth Tote is the first one to exceed my expectations.

The description for the Earth Tote states that it can keep food cold for up to 3 hours, and that is true. However, with the addition of a small ice pack, I've had food stay refrigerator cold for at least 5 hours. When I used a slightly larger ice pack, everything was still perfectly cold 9 hours later. I am quite impressed with the insulating ability of this bag, none of the others were able to maintain that level of insulation for anywhere close to that length of time. 

*Stock photo from Reuseit.com

It can fit a bit more than an average paper grocery bag, especially since it zips shut so you don't have to worry about things falling out of the top. My favorite way to use this isn't as a grocery bag though. The main thing I've been doing with it is using it to pack snacks, drinks, and lunch to bring with us when we are going out for the day. The kids and I have food allergies, so it can be difficult to find food on the go, and we tend to bring everything with us. Our Earth Tote can fit 2 Laptop Lunch boxes, a ToGoWare 2-tier tiffin, 2 12oz Kleen Kanteens, a 27oz Kleen Kanteen, and a set of 3 reuseit snack bags, plus 2 small freezer bricks. I'll put everything but the snack bags into the tote, put a kitchen towel on top, then the snack bags go in. This keeps the cold in the lower portion of the bag, and the snacks in the snack bags don't get humidity from any condensation that might occur (so, our pretzels and veggie bootie don't get soggy and gross).
The only thing that I'd add to improve this bag more would be a long shoulder strap in addition to the short handles. Being able to have our food bag on my shoulder would free up a hand for parking lot hand holding. For now, one of the kids just holds a belt loop or my pocket instead, but it would be nice to have an extra hand available.


Disclosure: As a reuseit.com ambassador, I was given a free product from reuseit.com to test and review. I was not paid or given any other compensation. All opinions presented are my own and not influenced by reuseit.com or anyone else.
For my full disclosure policy, please click here. 

Reusable Review: AusPen Refillable Dry Erase Markers & Wipe Clean Woeksheet Covers

This week, we tried out the AusPen Refillable Dry Erase Markers with a white board and Roylco Wipe Clean Worksheet Covers. I had been wanting to use dry erase markers with the kids for a while, but was uncomfortable with the smell and chemicals. When I first heard about the AusPen markers, I was thrilled to find out that not only are they refillable, but they are also Xylene free!
We loved the markers! They are bright and colorful, and draw a great, solid line which erases cleanly from both surfaces that we drew on. I think they are very comparable to the non-refillable dry erase markers in action, but without the soul-crushing agony of adding more waste to the landfill. I'm a sucker for a well designed container, so I adore the (recyclable) container that the markers and refill ink are packaged in. It's nice and slim, and fits into our school supply bin quite nicely. The only thing that I'm not feeling the love for, is the nibs (or lack of nibs, to be exact). Since I'm using these with preschoolers, I'm guessing the the kids will crush the life out of the nibs before the markers have lived a full life. They are reversible, so that will help, but I'd love to see AusPen offer replacement nibs so that we can continue to use these forever.



The kids are really getting interested in writing letters and have been asking for help making lists, so I got them a book with some pre-writing games and activities in it. I figured I'd either get a second copy if they both really like it, or just make copies on the scanner. Then I thought about it more, and just couldn't justify using all that paper and ink and then throwing it away. I thought about using chalkboards or whiteboard and drawing my own worksheets for them, but then stumbled across the Roylco Wipe Clean Worksheet Covers and decided to give them a try. They are perfect! We can use the same workbook over and over again, until the kids are done with it, and then give it to another family to use. We don't have to purchase multiple copies of the same book, and can reduce the amount of printouts from the computer. The covers cost $20 for a pack of 10, which seemed pricey at first, but I know they will more than pay for themselves quickly.




Just for Bootie Baby Blog readers, enter AUSPEN at check out for 10% off all of Auspen products at Reuseit.com from now until Nov 8!