Mommy Summers Reviews: Bamboo Cutting Boards

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

If you've been reading here lately you will know that we've been trying out a more clean eating type approach to our meals. If you know anything about clean eating you know that means LOTS of fresh fruits and veggies. I spend most of my time chopping up things. 

Let's take a moment to admire my chalk board table background. 

First off, these bamboo cutting boards are beautiful! Absolutely love the way they look. Second, when I was cutting some bigger/harder items, (squash, corn on the cob) the board did not run away from me. 

Close up of the smallest cutting board.

When it came time to wash them down, I was worried about the way they would look afterwards. Well after use 1 it still looked great. Day 2 I used the same large board to peel and make zucchini noodles and after I washed it I noticed it was starting to umm... I want to say peel. 

Just pointing to a few of the peeling areas.

It isn't splintering off, but the some pieces are starting to pull up. Now I've been looking around on forums and through reviews to see what people have to say about the boards doing this, if its the way I washed it (with a scrub brush in the sink) or if this happens during the first couple washes. I haven't really found much so far, though some have mentioned they splintered after their first wash. Have you guys had any experience with this? 


Moving on, after I saw that with the large cutting board I decided I'd better give the medium and smaller board a go and see what happens. Well only 2 small peels in the medium board after a use & wash and none in the small board.

On another note, they mention that these boards have "Anti-Bacterial Properties"  and while it sounds great to me, I just can't bring myself to cut raw meat on them. There's something about not being able to throw them in the dishwasher that makes me uncomfortable with that idea. 

So just to sum it up for those of you looking for a quick review:

Pros:
Beautiful to look at.
Great varying sizes.
Doesn't slip while cutting.
Easy to clean.
Light weight. 

Cons:
Peeling(?)
My fear of using meat on it.(Of course only a personal negative.)

So would I recommend these to you? To tell you the truth, I just don't know if I would recommend these or not. I feel like the smaller & medium ones wore better but they aren't the ideal size for anything more than just a smaller cut. Maybe another larger board will be better than the current one I have. Maybe I'm doing something wrong with it, though I feel like the instructions were pretty easy, just use, hand wash and occasionally treat with mineral oil. So again if you have any tips on what I'm doing wrong, or how I can fix this please let me know!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Finish This #3.

My favorite recipe is … Oh gosh, anything my mom made growing up. Lately I've been trying to make her recipes cleaner. We actually tried Cauliflower Mashed "Potatoes" the other day, umm yum! Can't believe we actually like them! 

I believe in …karma and self improvement. I know that whatever you put out into the world comes back, maybe not in the same way but everything evens out in the end. Also, lately I've been reading Stand For Something - Gordon B. Hinckley, and as I'm reading through the chapter's I'm like yes! Exactly! I feel like constantly trying to be a better person is helping me grow. 

I need to set boundaries … with my snacking. Seriously, where did all this yummy food come from?!

I began living when … I became a mom. I haven't smiled, laughed, cried, cleaned up more than I have with being a mom. My heart heals a little more with every smile, every kiss, every mom, momma I hear. 

5 On Friday.

one.

Made some pretty cute Mother's Day gifts with the kids in my nursery at church. Only 1 didn't want anything to do with the paint.

two.

We've been driving to see the cows up the street lately. One day we sat for about 45 minutes in the car just watching them. Miss A was thrilled. It's a nightly thing now if we leave the house. Always going to check on "her cows". 

three.

These two have started to hate bath time. It's ridiculous. They will both scream and scream, they only like showers. This is their new thing, let's hide when mom says it's time for a bath, I found them sitting with my clean laundry a few times this week.

Four.

Bangs. My hairdresser decided to give me bangs. I mean I don't know how I feel about them yet, but everyone else likes them. Let's hope they're not just being nice. Ha.

Five.

This mom finally got 5 minutes alone to attempt to make a burlap wreath, if only I had bought more than one roll of ribbon. Can't wait to get it done! So super easy!

My Closet: 10 Things.

10 THINGS THAT I MUST HAVE IN MY CLOSET

1. Stretchy pants. 

     Yup the only pants I wear lately are the kind that stretch, something just easier about it.

2. Layering shirts, 

    like tons of tank tops and plain t-shirts.

3. Way too many high heels.

4. Flip flops. 

    I have hope of it being warm enough to wear them soon & this weekend is saying it just might be.

5. Perfume. 

    Gotta smell extra nice occasionally. 

6. Little girl's jewelry. 

    Miss A LOVES to dress up all pretty and go out so we are starting to collect necklaces and bracelets for her. 

7. Comfy zip up. 

    Nothing makes a rainy day better for me then comfy clothes. 

8. Leggings. 

    Yup, if it's a lazy day at home or a day of cleaning I'll wear leggings and a t-shirt all day.

9. Workout pants.

    You know in case I exercise sometime.

10. Yoga mat.

     The kind that doubles as the thing kids just can't keep rolled up, and gets used as a picnic blanket all too              often.

Happy Monday!

#VivaVoxBox Review!

I was so very luck to get the Viva Voxbox to review from Influenster! 

Just look at all of the awesome free goodies in it!

NYC New York Color City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color in South Ferry Berry- I was pretty nervous when I saw this bright color in here. I for sure thought I would hate it, but you know what, I love it. I love that it rolls out and is shaped like a fat pencil. It does keep color all day. I mean it did come off on napkins and straws/cups and such but I still had color on my lips. This color is one of my favorite colors right now. I will definitely be going to look at the other colors and will most definitely purchase another one to try.
The Fuel Rewards Network at Shell- I love the idea of this card. I want to use it and plan on using it but the closet Shell gas station to me is a little over half an hour away, which isn't realistic for a quick fill up. Luckily we make our way out that direction occasionally and I plan on using this card!
Pure Ice Nail Polish in After Hours & It's Complicated- LOVE these colors! Great springy pink and the multi-color glitter is amazing! Love that it dries quickly, and I'm pretty happy with how long it lasts, my hands are constantly busy cleaning something and such so I don't expect polish to last too long on my nails. Oh and an added bonus Miss A loves the colors too!
Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Cloths- I've never been on to wash my makeup off before bed and didn't bother to ever grab cloths because I figured one wouldn't be enough to take off all of the makeup I enjoy wearing and I wasn't about to waste money and go through them so fast, well these little things take off all of my make up. AMAZING! My face didn't feel dry and no new breakouts or anything so I say WIN!
Montagne Jeunesse Peel Off Masks Manuka Honey Peel Off Mask- Now I've tried the Chocolate Montagne Jeunesse mask before and I loved it. I hadn't tried a peel off one yet though and you know what, WIN! This was also another great product!
Vaseline Spray & Go Moisturizer Cocoa Radiant- I've had a few questions about this spray, and I really do love this as well. It's so much easier to spray myself or my girls down after a shower and just rub and go. Or if we're feeling a little dry or itchy during the day from washing hands and such too much a quick spray is awesome! It smells great and feels great (no weird feeling after use). Oh and a bonus on this- the lid turns to open and lock. My girls can't quite figure out how to open it! No more lotion disasters for a bit now! Influenster brought together an AWESOME box this time and I completely recommend these products to everyone that wants to give them a try! And I'm not just saying that because all of it was free, all of these things will be repurchased in different colors, and types soon!

Finish This #2

 I feel an adrenaline rush when … I hear a noise that's not quite right in the middle of the night. Just ask my husband how many times he's had to wander the house checking to make sure everything is okay. 

I feel energized when … I actually get to have more than 2 hour chunks of sleep at night. 

I feel small when … I'm around my in-laws. I feel like I just disappear into the room. I spend most of the time sitting in silence, waiting for a chance to say something, waiting for someone to talk to me. 

I feel big when … I call up some place to take care of something. Ha, I'm not much of a " I'll call and get that all figured out " type person. 

I feel indestructible when … I learn something new and actually get it. Like I'm sure I'll feel indestructible after I finish up my Skills Test this weekend for CPR & First Aid, if I pass of course ha. 

I feel stupid when … I have to ask 4 times what the other person said. Ha. 

I feel smart when … I can listen to my husband talk about work stuff and actually understand all of it enough to explain it better to someone else! 

Like, Love, Loathe.

Like.

Oh the nice weather we're having. Even with it switching from warm and 80 to stormy and 54 tomorrow, I'm totally enjoying it!

Love. 

That my sweet Miss A is out enjoying this beautiful month. Saturday she headed to the zoo with her Uncle, Aunt & Favorite Cousin and today they're enjoying the Living Planet Aquarium.

Loathe.

How fast these two are growing. Can't believe it. 

My Area- 10 Things!

10 Places to Visit in my Area.

1. Antelope Island.
2. Thai Jasmine- Umm yum! 
3. Great Salt Lake.
4. Lagoon!
5. Temple Square
6. Hogle Zoo. (They're changing it so much it's awesome!)
7. Lorena's. Authentic Mexican food that even my Mexican Grandma loves!
8. Thanksgiving Point. (So I've been told! It's on my to do list!)
9. Candy Cane Lane  (Christmas time of course!)
10. Visit the nature park. Love it! 

P.S. Thank goodness for awesome link ups while I get some non-link up posts ready! 

 

Sunday Social 5/4

Questions:

1. Who do you call when you need to vent? Vegas. Well my little sister that lives in Vegas, but I think we'll just call her Vegas on here.

2. Where do you go when you need alone time? My room.

3. What is your favorite alone time activity? Yoga, hot bath, a movie alone. Anything is nice. 

4. What is something we should all stop and read right now? My blog? Ha. Umm I just finished up The Fault in Our Stars - John Green, and I LOVED it.

5. Who do you wish would read your blog that doesn’t already? Family? Celeb? Anyone really, I feel like the time & effort I put into making sure I comment on other's blogs and give decent comments just don't come back to me. Maybe someday right?

Happy Sunday!

Currently.

I feel like there has been so much going on, yet not really. Ever feel like that? I've been thinking about doing a "Currently" post for the last few days and think it'd be a good mini catch up of whats going on currently in my life right now.

These two melt my heart. 

Currently: 

Watching... Glee (as I write this), but lately my hunny and I have been watching New Girl, and we love it. What other Netflix shows do you guys watch? We've watched a ton! Seriously, lately we've watched Chuck, Leverage, Scandal, Gold Rush.... 

Reading... Have a Little Faith- Mitch Albom, Reached - Ally Condie & Allegiant - Veronica Roth & I  just finished up reading The Fault in Our Stars- John Green. So many good books. Not enough time or free hands! Are we friends on Goodreads? If you have one and we aren't friends, add me. Or just leave a comment with a few of your favorite books. 

Writing... my grocery list/meal plan for the week. We've been trying to do some clean eating/Paleo meals as much as possible. So far, we love it. Though I do have a hard time finding cheaper recipes to add into the mix, it's hard to fit all the fancy seasonings and such into our budget right now. Maybe one day. How do you meal plan? Or do you have any yummy clean/Paleo recipes for us?

Listening... to children destroy my almost clean house. That's right almost clean. There are constantly cute little children crawling/running around destroying whatever is clean, so I just let it happen. As long as they're happy and not actually destroying anything I'm good. 

Thankful...  for those two sweet girls who love to hold each other's hand. They help my heart heal and teach me so much every day. 

Wishing for... a great week. 

Happy Friday!!

Let's Make a List.

10 THINGS MY HUSBAND WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND

1. What it's like to crave some alone time.

     I love my girls but a shower alone once in a while would be nice! 

2. The way a new cut & color can make you feel like a star.

     But what guy really can? I'm sure there are very few.

3. How hard meal planning/grocery shopping can be.

    It doesn't just happen, it takes a lot.

4. Why I won't go in somewhere looking the way I do some days.

     Seriously some days, WalMart isn't an option & I've seen some crazy stuff there.

5. How I can be so calm during labor. 

6. That at one point during they day the house was clean.

7. How two little girls can have so much attitude.

    It's just beginning though.

8. The joy of finding the perfect bra.

9. Why I am better at shopping for him than he is.

10. My love of chocolate and a nice TV drama.