Severe weather is a threat to many parts of the country, in different forms, all year.  Those that work in disaster relief can tell you that coolers are almost always a needed item.  And large industrial coolers are sometimes too large to be easily transported.  If you are living in an area that is often hard hit by natural disasters and storms your coolers could turn out to be very useful!

In 2011 the Tornado Super Outbreak spawned over 358 tornado’s in 21 states, and destroyed more than 300 power transmission towers in the Tennessee Valley Authorities power grid alone.  Leaving thousands who hadn’t lost their homes, without power for days.

Medication that needs to be refrigerated often goes to waste or doesn’t
get to the people that need it because there is no way to keep it cold and get it out to rural areas or to those doing disaster relief.  Some of this medication can include antibiotics needed to help prevent illness due to the disaster and medications to control diabetes.

Transporting food from donation centers to those doing search and rescue or clean up can be difficult.  Often times this food is transported in a spider web effect and coolers that aren’t massive can be very helpful in getting food spread out to those working in areas closed to a lot of traffic.  In Alabama during the relief efforts after the April 2011 tornado’s, one family was feeding upwards of 600 people daily in area’s that the Red Cross and larger organizations couldn’t reach.  Having coolers meant they were able to keep food at safer temperatures while transporting.

When it comes to disaster relief it takes resources and items of all sizes to do what needs to be done in a timely manner.
And if the idea of your cooler being sent to these areas seems like you are forever parting with your cooler, simply writing your name on the inside of the cooler with a contact number usually insures you will get your cooler back.  You can also donate personal sized coolers to local disaster relief organizations in your area.

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Some days New Year’s seems like just a few weeks ago; but here we are in the middle of spring!  The temperatures are rising, the grass is growing at lightning speed, and you are feeling the itch to get out to the pool!  Or are you?  We personally feel like women look great in every shape, but we also understand being self-conscious.  It’s the reason why so many people make a resolution on New Year’s to lose some unwanted weight.

Now we are smack in the middle of Spring and many people are regretting tossing aside their resolutions weeks ago.  How do you get back on track?  How do you get back on the resolution wagon?  How do you make sure you are eating right and working your way into being comfortable at the pool, the healthy way?

Many people crash diet come spring, ‘Get Thin in One Month’ headlines scream at us; which can cause your body to drop the weight, but then add on more!  What you are eating is just as important as how much, even more important!  Your body needs an even amount of sugar so you don’t go overboard on snacks or at meals.

Many of these tips are going to be things you know, things we all know, things our Momma’s taught us growing up.  But they are tried and true.

• Never skip a meal.  Especially breakfast, it is the most important meal of the day!
• Snack between meals.  A small snack, full of protein, will keep your body level and keep you from eating too much at your next meal!
• Pack your lunch.  This is important, especially if you work in an office with frequent luncheons or where you run out for fast food just to rush back to your desk to get back to work.
• Don’t eat dinner too late.  Try to eat dinner by 6, eating too close to bed time will work against you!
• Water.  Water, water, water, water!  We can’t say it enough, drink more water! And less everything else!
• Listen to your body.  Are you craving something sweet, eat some fruit.  Craving something salty, grab a handful of nuts!  Don’t ignore your craving, just fulfill them the smart way!

If you follow us on Facebook and Twitter, we try to pass along yummy (and mostly healthy!) recipes every week, recipes that will not only make you drool, but help you reach your goals and get you back on track!

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As winter gives into Spring, everyone is rushing out of their houses and taking advantage of the sunshine and amazing weather.  And there are few ways as great as a picnic!  It gets everyone out of the house, breathing in the fresh air and soaking up the sun…as well as keeping the kitchen free from the wreckage of lunch!

Getting outside is good for your mind and body!  Seasonal Depression is a real thing that affects many people during the winter months.  The reason is because days are short, the weather is cold, we aren’t getting as much Vitamin D from the sun.  And those are the scientific reasons, no doubt the stress of the holidays and being stuck indoors adds to feeling a little blue during the winter.  The best way to shake this off as spring comes?  Get outside!  Getting some good old sunshine on your skin (but don’t forget the sunscreen!  We want the good stuff the sun offers, not all the bad stuff!)  can help knock out the blues by increasing serotonin, your natural happy hormone.  Vitamin D can also help bone strength, help high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

Picnics also foster healthier eating and portion control.  When most people think of picnics they think of fruits, cold cuts, raw veggies, and some ice cold lemonade.  We are more tempted to lay on a blanket and pick at a bowl of berries and melon, than greasy chips and dip.  Being outdoors in the fresh air, enjoying the weather with our families means we are putting the act of bonding and quality time ahead of eating whatever processed foods we can find.  We are more likely to jump up for a game of Frisbee than eating everything in the cooler.  Outdoor picnics are also great for keeping a diet under control (no temptation to sneak a spoonful of ice cream out of the freezer when you aren’t even home!).  And your picky toddler won’t be able to beg you for fruit snacks, when all you have are real fruits and veggies in the cooler!

Picnics are just fun!  We could go on and on about all the reasons we think you should pack up your PackIt and head outside with your family for an afternoon in the sun, but is there anything more fun than spending time with the ones you love?  You can pack up, head to the beach, a campsite, a park, or even your own back yard…just get outside with your family and a Social Cooler and make some amazing spring memories!

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Juicing.  More people do it than you know.  They juice at home.  They juice on the go.  They let their kids juice.  Juicing is clever, and sneaky, and a smart way to give your body the good things it needs.  Why is it great?  And why aren’t you doing it?

As a parent, it is a constant battle to try to get my child to eat a vegetable.  She is smarter than she looks, cover that green veggie with some cheese?  Please, Mom!  I will suck the cheese off and discard of the good for me green thing.  I can’t be the only one who has been to battle with a child over eating something that is good for them.

I started juicing recently, and it hit me like a mac truck!  I was putting all this great stuff into my juice, and you couldn’t taste the things that maybe weren’t always so great tasting.  So why don’t I just sneak those things into the juice, and give my child the juice.  And I win, and my victory is really her victory as well!

So what do you need to know about juicing?  And what are some great things to sneak into your kids juice? We will tell you!

The biggest thing to know is you really can’t mess it up, the worst thing that could happen is you’re out the cost of the fruit & veggies you used and you don’t like the juice.  Things like apples will give your juice a brownish look as it sits, so if looks matter…you may want to skip the apples if you aren’t going to be drinking right away or add some green veggies to conceal the brownish color.

A common juice to sneak in veggies is one with a great fruit base.  Pineapples, strawberries, kiwis and bananas are all a great way to cover the addition of kale, spinach and carrots!  Your kids won’t know they are getting vegetables and you can sit there gloating to yourself about outsmarting your little one!

And for you, a morning juice is a great time to start with your daily vegetables, because it will help keep you going until lunch!  If you are juicing to diet or cleanse many juicing diets are simply a base of things like lemon, watermelon, oranges, and pineapple (think light fruits!).  But if you’re juicing just to add nutrients, heavier fruits and veggies will give you a filling feeling that will help keep your sugar levels even through the day!

The maximum benefit for juice is when you are able to drink it right away.  But keeping it cold will extend those benefits!  No matter why you’re juicing, packing your juice in a PackIt will help keep it cold enough for you to enjoy all day!  Large juice bottles can be kept perfectly cool in our Single Bottle Cooler, where as if you have smaller containers to boost yourself as a snack, the Personal Cooler may be just what you need!  Don’t let the time you spend away from the juicer keep you from juicing all day!! Juice It then Pack It.

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Spring is here, and we know everyone is anxious to get moving!  It is time for spring vacations, spring cleaning, playdates at the park, and picnics in the back yard!  We have some ideas on how you can use your PackIt Cooler while out and about this spring season!

Packing for a spring break vacation, or a weekend getaway to the beach?  Packit coolers can make traveling a little easier.  Instead of coolers filled with ice or hard space consuming ice packs, a PackIt Cooler just needs to be unfolded and stuffed full of food and drinks for the drive!

Packing up for a day of site seeing with kids can be exhausting to think about.  Kids think about food more than adults, so having a Personal Cooler at the ready with plenty of snacks to keep their sugar level from getting to low can really save the day!  And a Snapwear Set means your kids snacks stay in their containers with out getting smashed along the way!

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Everyone knows you don’t go grocery shopping if you are hungry…so imagine your kids at school going through the lunch line and trying to decide between chicken nuggets, pizza or a hamburger!  While schools are attempting to make lunches in the cafeteria healthier due largely in part to new legislation on childhood obesity, it’s still very difficult for a child to make the healthy choice when offered. How do you take control? Packit…Pack their lunch! 

Here are our top 5 reasons to pack your child's lunch:

1. Control. A healthy packed lunch lets you avoid the lunch line and any bad choices or temptations. Plus your child can sit down and start eating right away and not wait in line. By bringing their own lunch you are able to control what kinds of foods that they eat. You are also able to control the portion size of these choices, which can be very beneficial when watching things like sugar intake and calories.

2. Variety. Thanks to the internet, there are hundreds of fun lunch ideas, and this allows you to pack a variety of healthy foods. Using a PackIt, you can bring yogurt, tuna salad, fresh fruit or anything that tastes great cold. The same choices over and over get boring!

3. Economical. Add up the cost of how much you spend per week on your child’s lunch, then for the month, then the school year…ouch. Packing their lunch saves money. You can use leftovers. That brings the cost of the lunch itself down to practically nothing! 

4. Eliminate the Picky Eater Syndrome. Studies have shown that children of all ages can help with meal planning, grocery shopping, and in this case packing their lunch,and when they do, they will be more likely to eat it. Avoiding power struggles by allowing them to pack what they like (that is also nutritious) and encourage experimenting and being creative will help them to try new foods instead of picking the same thing everyday in the lunch line. 

5. Safer for both you and the environment
Use a refillable water bottle like Vapur, metal cutlery and glass dishes from home — and pack it all in a PackIt. PackIt is PVC-free, BPA-free, lead-free, non-toxic, earth-safe and reusable. Everyone feels good. 

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