CarryWell 10-Piece Reusable Grocery Bag Set

This post went up earlier than planned this week (I forgot I’d scheduled some posts ahead of time). I’d yet to update the text, so I’m doing that now. 😇

I received this Carry Well Grocery Bag System to review and I love it. It’s really the only way I plan to shop for groceries from now on. I know there may be a few occasions where we stop unexpectedly, but these will be the new standard for Team B Henry’s weekly grocery trips. 😉

Brandon was never a fan of using regular grocery bags and, although it took me a while, I eventually adjusted to his preference. Initially, I liked having bags to use for smaller trash containers and random household tasks, but I’m at a point now where I just don’t like having them around– there’s never a good place to store them and we always end up with SOOOOOOOOO MANY!

Flashback to my life in NC: I adored my Harris Teeter shopping bags and had a regular routine of shopping with my reusable store totes. I lost a good bit of my old faithful bags when my car was flooded in Mississippi. I used to leave them in the trunk so that I always had them on hand when I went to the store, and the flood destroyed them. 😦

Fast-forward to present day: I’ve included a series of photos from one of our recent grocery trips with the bags in action.

The bags arrived in this box. You can see the actual chevron pattern through the cardboard.

I’ve used reusable grocery bags before, but I’ve never had any that came with a bag to carry and store them all!

This liner goes in the bottom of the bag. When not in use for storage, the chevron bag is purposed for carrying glass or wine bottles.

These produce bags come tucked inside the outside pockets on each side of the chevron patterned bag. You can also use these pockets to hold coupons, your shopping list, or your wallet.

Heading to the grocery store!

I love buying veggies in the summer, but hate the store bags. I filled up the two produce bags with fresh corn. This is a snapshot of our cart in the checkout line.

I brought all those bags in in ONE trip. They’re just that sturdy and really helped me distribute the weight evenly. And this trip included 10 ears of corn, a 1 gallon jug of Simply Lemonade, a gallon of milk, 2 containers of Cool Whip and whole lot more!

The bags also made me plan ahead in the checkout line to make sure that my frozen items were all together for the freezer bag and that like items were bagged together.

As a result, I was able to unload the groceries and put everything away in under 30 minutes–Having everything pre-grouped meant a quick transfer to the fridge/pantry and then the bag was back on the utility rack!

One last feature of the system, the strap includes a snap wrap that allows you to hang the bag from your shopping cart handle while you’re completing your purchase (that way the bags don’t take up space in your cart). It’s hanging from that wrap in the photo below. Isn’t that neat!?! They thought of EVERYTHING!

Weeding My Garden

This has been a hard, long, week. Filled with lots of emotional highs and lows. The biggest low being the loss of my husband’s grandfather.

I didn’t know him as long as others were blessed to, but I got the chance to experience a grandfather as an adult and that in itself was a special gift from God.

He wasn’t just my husband’s grandfather. He was my Grandpa Sterling.

On a Road Trip with the Grandparents

Continue reading →

Green Cleaning Made Easy: Tile Grout Cleaning Tips

I’ve started what will be the first of many Pinterest cleaning experiments.

I know we all pin various tips, but how often do we ACTUALLY try them? Few and far between, right?

I have had a good bit of success with the pointers I find on Pinterest. That may be sheer luck or coincidence, but I like to think that my critical thinking skills and knack for analysis allow me to complete a quick review of a potential pin and eliminate those that aren’t going to work. (It’s probably just chance, though 😂).

Since I’m working on posting more frequently, I’ll share those tips that work really well and those that work after I make a few adjustments.

One of my most recent experiments was cleaning our guest bathroom floor tile grout.

When I saw the ingredients to this cleaning aid on Pinterest, I was hopeful that it would resolve my issue. Here’s the recipe:

2 tsp. Baking Soda
4 Tbsp. White Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dish Detergent
2 cups of Water

You can purchase a cheap spray bottle to use to create this solution or reuse an empty bottle (like I did). 😉

The baking soda and vinegar have a natural chemical reaction, so I recommend mixing this with the bottle in your bathroom/kitchen sink.

The tile grout in this particular bathroom has been off-colored since we moved into our home. Despite my routine cleaning, nothing seemed to help the strange stain. I was about to clean the bathroom recently and decided it was time to try another method.

Here’s my process in photos:

The floor stain before:

I used a toothbrush to really work the solution in. If you look closely, you can see the dirt beginning to move! 😄

The before (left) and after (right):

It worked! The grout looks soooooooooooooo much better and I’m sure it will continue to lighten with a few more scrubbing sessions!

The baking soda does leave a bit of a residue on the tile, so I recommend using this spray and allowing it to dry overnight and mopping the floor on the following day.

Book Review: The Color Code Bible

I still remember the first time I saw a Rainbow Study Bible.

I was still in elementaty school. I’m guessing I was about 7 or 8 years old. The Bible was my mom’s, of course, and I was obsessed with the color coded notes and highlights throughout the text. It was like an encrypted mystery and I wanted to decode every page!

I love reviewing Bibles and was so excited to review this one. I’ll share more of the details below, but I’ll start with a general review. Due to the level and amount of text, I would see this being most appropriate for a 7 or 8 year old (or older) or for parents to use to study with their children.

As described by the publisher, The Color Code Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishing is packed with bright colors, memorization aids, and the never-ending truth of God’s Good News.

64 vibrant pages in the beginning of the text provide a thorough explanation of the color system and offer expanded study features catered to a child’s creative and imaginative mind!

With topics arranged by color, any reader can learn about salvation and how to put God’s word into his/her daily faith walk.

The topics and colors are:

Gold: God

Navy: Sin, evil

Red: Jesus

Orange: Washed clean from sin, new life

Green: Growth in your new life as a Christian and Faith Walk

Blue: Prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving

Purple : Heaven

The large, readable typeface, bold in-text subject headings, and color-highlighted verses all make this Bible a fantastic purchase for any child (or adult)!

I love adding bibles to my library and this one did not dissapoint. I can see this being a valuable tool to use with my church’s children’s ministry and as a wonderful gift for a new baby or christening event.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”

Walking on A Cloud….

If you’ve been following the blog or any of my social media channels for long, you probably know that I do lots of product reviews as one my many past times.

It’s really interesting how it evolved because my family and friends were always asking my opinions on things I use or own (I guess because they know I’m not one to spend money on things, “just because”) and I’ve always been one to give a company an online review (especially when shopping on Amazon).

It just goes to show you, your hobbies and normal activities can become profitable — you just have to do your research! 😉

For the past month, I’ve been reviewing the ROHEGO Premium Anti-Fatigue Comfort Mat floor mat. Since moving into our home, I’ve upgraded our kitchen mats a few times. I was a big fan of some memory foam mats that I found on clearance at HomeGoods, but the cloth material attracted lots of lint and debris and would never wash clean. That was a major bummer. I was thrilled when I saw an offer to review this mat. At I’ll save my final verdict for the end of this post, but here are a few details about the product:

CUSHIONED SUPPORT, RIGHT AT YOUR FEET
Standing for long periods of time on hard surfaces can put undue stress on your feet, knees, hips and back. This causes fatigue, aches and pain. By displacing your body weight the shock-absorbing mat, you experience improved circulation, better posture and muscle conditioning, and overall improved health and comfort. Whether you stand at the kitchen sink, at your garage workbench, or on the assembly line, the ROHEGO Anti-Fatigue Mat enhances your personal comfort and productivity by providing just the right amount of cushion and support between hard surfaces and your feet.

SAFE AND DURABLE FOR ANY ENVIRONMENT
The ROHEGO Premium Anti-Fatigue Mat is made of a single piece of polyurethane with a high-density core for maximum resilience and stability. The mat is eco-friendly and non-toxic, suitable for kitchens, offices and any other work areas. A textured backing ensures non-skid performance, while beveled edges prevent trip hazards and curling. Its closed-cell construction makes it anti-microbial and stain-resistant. Hand-washing it with mild soap and water, and then allowing it to air-dry will return it to like-new condition.

WORK IN COMFORT and enhance your productivity at home or at the office. This high-density mat provides shock-absorbing support and improved blood circulation when standing on hard surfaces.

SAFETY IS IMPERATIVE so every mat has a textured non-skid backing. Beveled edges all around prevent curling and trip hazards while allowing carts to roll smoothly over the mat without upending.

GENEROUSLY SIZED at 39″ L x 20″ W x .75″D. The ROHEGO Premium Anti-Fatigue Mat is ideal for tired moms and dads at kitchen sinks and washer/dryers, those standing for hours at their standing desks/workstations, artists, cashiers, assembly-line technicians, hair stylists, mechanics, restaurant hostesses and much, much more…

MY FINAL VERDICT: I love this floor mat! I often experience restlessness in my legs while sitting/standing and doing laundry or washing dishes. This lessened that problem. It really feels like you are walking on a thin pillow. Almost like a cloud. My husband has also become a fan of the mat I placed in our kitchen, so much so that I plan to purchase another mat for the laundry area. I also appreciate that it is much easier to clean than floor mats I have used in our kitchen in the past. This is the best of them all. I am beyond happy with this item and it gets a 5 star, Fix-it With Fran Approval Rating!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. 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.”