Xiaolin Mama Reviews

Crystal Light = Convenient Drink for Hikers

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.

This weekend the family and I packed up the car to go camping at nearby Point Reyes Seashore. It was gorgeous.  After hiking 3 miles one way, we were parched and the kids needed a boost that water just didn't seem to provide.  Lucky for us all, I threw in a few packs of Crystal Light Fruit Punch and Lemonade in my back pack!  (I also had fruit and other snacks in case you were thinking I was an ill prepared hiker.)

It was easy to add to our water bottles and tasted great.   We were able to split two packs amongst six water bottles easily with plenty of flavor.  The kids loved the extra oomph it brought and the parents didn't have to carry anyone back to the car.  I will always put the travel sizes in the pack for future outings. 

Score one for mom!!  Score two for my saving my back certain back pain.

More water = Better skin

My fellow bloggers at BlogHer have been chatting about the benefits of increasing water intake for the past weeks. I had hopes of maybe losing a few pounds, gaining a new appreciation for drinking water and well, kick starting a healthier lifestyle.  But one of the unexpected benefits has been on my face. 

In my short two weeks, I feel like my skin feels less tight after washing it.  If you have dry skin, like I do, your face could feel like you've been walking in the Mojave Desert for a week - dry and cracked!   Ugh.  For some reason, my skin hasn't been feeling so dry.  Actually, been using less moisturizer too.  Hmmm... 

If this has anything to do with drinking more water - then I am sold!   How does water intake affect your skin?  Join the conversation here!

Crystal Light Peach Tea

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.

Today, we ran out of our beloved Crystal Light lemonade and had to bust into the Peach Iced Tea flavor.  I am not generally a huge fan of iced tea products. I usually put them in the blech category.  But this one was surprisingly good.  It didn't have a strange aftertaste, nor did it try too hard to taste like peach juice with a touch of tea.  It was more like tea, with a hint of peach. 

Actually it was a hit with the whole family at our Father's Day celebration - from grandpa to the precocious six year old of the family.  Like the rest of the Crystal Light products, it was easy to make and quick to disappear.  One point for mom!

Update on Water Way Challenge:  Up to consistently 6 glasses a day - oh yeah baby! 

Water Way Challenge Update

Thanks to the the fine ladies at BlogHer and Crystal Light, I've been working on drinking 8 glasses of water daily.  I think this weekend I turned a corner.  Somehow a light went off and I figured out that if I woke up and had a glass immediately and then before I went to bed, then dang 2 cups right there were done.  I KNOW I am slow. 

This is how I fit in more water while being at a dinner party:
Right when I got there - drink a glass of water
After 2 glass of wine - drink a glass of water
After 4th glass of wine - drink a glass of water
Before bed and in order to stave off a hangover - drink water
Immediately after waking up - drink water

Five glasses lickety split!
Now just one more with every meal...
I am brilliant:) It IS getting easier.

Monitoring water intake

I thought I had been drinking plenty of water as prior to taking part in the Crystal Light Water Way challenge. I was surprised to find that I actually had only drank between 2 and 3 glasses of water a day if lucky - a glass with meals and maybe before bed.  doh!

So I downloaded this nifty tracker - check it out - you can get your own here.  It is way cooler than my sticky note on the fridge.  So get to drinkin' - water that is! :)

Crystal Light versus Real Lemonade

Today was the last day of school - and the beginning of coming up with fun summer activities with the kids.   A s part of my on going participation in the Crystal Light Water Way Challenge, this afternoon's exciting activity was taste testing Crystal Light's Lemonade versus making lemonade from real lemons. 

Making Real Lemonade

1. Convince kids to get lemons from neighbors' tree
2. Yell at kids for throwing lemons at each other
3. Gather supplies - sugar, water, pitcher, ice
4. Attempt to wash lemons
5. Yell at kids for splashing each other as they washed lemons (see a trend here?)
6. Squeeze lemons
7. Remove pits
8. Add water and sugar
9. taste
10. Add more sugar
11. taste
12. Add more sugar (Marvel and how much sugar kids want in their lemonade)
13. Add ice
14. Pour into glasses

Time to prepare: 1 hour (including time to visit with neighbors)

Make Crystal Light

1. Get pitcher
2. Add water
3. Open packet of crystal light
4. Mix
5. Add ice
6. Pour

Time to prepare: 5 minutes

The judges were my 6YO daughter and my 9YO son. I was also a judge - the one with the most votes.

The winner of the taste test was...drum roll please...
based on taste alone - real lemonade
based on time to make - Crystal Light
based on clean up time and having to break up battles - Crystal Light
based on whether it was the stuff of making summer memories - real lemonade

I was surprised to note just how much sugar we put into home made lemonade.  Yikes!  No wonder it was SO good - duh!  Thank goodness Crystal Light has only 5 calories per serving. We had a ball doing the taste test - but it is clear if looking for ease and good flavor, you can't go wrong with a pitcher of Crystal Light.  It is not as exciting as pummeling your brother with lemons, but does the job done for wetting your whistle quickly!  Real Lemonade will always have special place in my heart - but we'll have to figure out a better way to make it with WAY less sugar.

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.

Crystal Light takes on my afternoon Latte

So I have been happily drinking my lemonade Crystal Light as part of the Water Way Challenge Group - but HEY now, did you know there was version with caffeine??  Dang, I am slow.

Do you think that this may replace my afternoon mocha frappuccino?  It does have only 5 calories per serving - compared to my whipped cream doused beverage of choice - that is amazing. 

I just had the Energy Wild Strawberry flavor - not bad!  Anyone else floored that you could get caffeinated for only 5 calories?  Hmmm...  it has 60 mg of caffeine and a load of B vitamins to kick start me in the afternoon.  How does that compare to my daily Starbucks afternoon delight?  It is definitely cheaper - who know maybe with all my savings I can buy  a new bathing suit!  

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge.  This is my ongoing review of being taking part of the Water Way Challenge.

Crystal Light's Water Way Challenge

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Crystal Light Water Way Challenge

This is the last week of school for my kids which means - summer is officially starting.  What do have planned for the summer?  Days at the pool/beach, a couple of camping trips, early morning bike rides and rounds of foozeball in the garage. 

All this activity requires bathing suits, shorts and tank tops and well, I am not quite sure I am quite ready for my summer uniform quite yet. Who is really??  So this year rather than gripe about it, like usual  I signed up for the Crystal LIght "Water Way Challenge".   The folks at Crystal Light and BlogHer have sent me samples and for the next few weeks I am going to commit to replacing soda (bye Coke!) and other favorite beverages (Buh-bye Rum and Coke) with water infused with Crystal Light.  Sounds like a Piece o' Cake, right?   

I will be one of a eight kick butt bloggers taking on the challenge.  I am already a fan of Crystal Light - love the little packs, so am stoked that they asked.   I give 'em to the kids to put in lunch as a treat.  But I have never really drank them for 30 days consistently.  I hope that by giving up my favorite afternoon soda and drinking more water that my bathing suit looks a whole lot less lumpy on me:)   A girl can dream right?  Okay, I may hit the gym too...  Will you keep you posted. Keep reading about my progress.   Better yet, join me in the Challenge and tell me how it is going!  Blog Her has set up a group site too  so join in on the fun! 

I wonder if I can make cocktails with Crystal Light? Hmmm...