Colton’s Time Machine – Review

*I received these books free for purposes of my review. All opinions are my own.

Colton’s Time Machine by Rebecca Massey

I was sent book 3 and book 4. Colton’s Time Machine book 3 is about Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin. Colton’s Time Machine book 4 is about Betsy Ross, Mount Rushmore, and the Statue of Liberty.

Colton is a little boy with little baby dragons and a time machine in his tree house. They all travel together through time and visit a variety of historical places and historical people. Colton’s Time Machine series is a spin off from Colton’s Pocket Dragon series. That series starts with him finding dragon eggs, helping them hatch, and discovering his dragon friends.

Colton’s Time Machine books each cover 3 historical people or places in American history. The story spends a lot of time on Colton and his Dragons in funny situations back in history and is interspersed with dates and important facts about the historical figure or place. A great way to share historical information with kids without overwhelming them with too many details.

You can purchase all these fun Colton books on Amazon!

Zoku Pocket Straw Review and Giveaway

I received 3 different Zoku products in exchange for my review. And I get to give away a very cool Zoku pocket straw!

I don’t know about you, but I am a bit frustrated with all the “no straw” things restaurants are trying to do. First off, it’s super inconsistent. And seems to vary by location. I never know if I’m going to be able to get a straw or not.

Secondly, I go a lot of places that I can’t take a straw. Like my local zoo. (I actually can’t take a disposable straw OR lid) This is incredibly inconvenient with kids. Especially with my 2 yr old. I mean, a straw is way easier to bring than a sippy cup. We pretty much loose half our drink every time because we have no lid and we have no straw. It’s so frustrating!

Needless to say, I was super, incredibly excited about trying out this Zoku stainless steel pocket straw. And I’m just loving the great features! The only thing I’m struggling with is prying it away from my 11yr old. She’s pretty sure I got this straw just for her and that it’s the best thing I’ve done for her so far this year.

  • It telescopes down and fits in the little straw carrying case (that gray thing) so I can easily tuck it in a bag or pocket. Or there’s a spot in the lid for a string if I need to tie it on to something.
  • It’s not disposable so even the zoo will let me bring it in – not that they’ll know that I have it, it’s so small!
  • The silicone mouthpiece makes it comfortable to use. I’m not a fan of stainless steel straws because they’re always too hot or too cold depending on what I’m drinking. The little mouthpieces fixes that.
  • The telescope feature also means that I can easily use it in a smaller cup without having a gigantic straw. I can just telescope it out a little less and it’s shorter. Perfect for smaller cups and little children.
  • It comes with a straw cleaner. Because, let’s face it, unless I’m drinking only water, I’m going to want to scrub out the inside of this thing. The cleaner also fits in the case with the straw, so I can easily carry this entire thing with me everywhere.

As much as my kids love this straw, I’m going to have to buy one for each of them so they’ll never be strawless. Maybe if I ask nicely Zoku can make them with different colored silicone mouthpieces so I can tell them apart!

The other 2 items Zoku sent are this stainless steel water bottle. I love the rope on top. These bottles are terrific for my kids because they’re easy to transport without spilling, but we’re constantly struggling with where to stuff them in a backpack so they don’t fall out. A little carabiner clipped to the lid and my son’s backpack strap and our problem is solved. This is a nice sturdy bottle, and I love the stainless steel because it will have to survive many drops.

And, last, but not least, the stackable containers. They all stack together to fit well in my cupboard. And they stack with each other well with all the lids on. They come in 4 different sizes and there’s even a freezer pack that clips inside one of the large lids – perfect for those days that I pack a salad!

I love that the lids clip on on 4 sides. They’re easy to clip down but large enough that it’s easy to grab them and open them when the time comes. They also have a nice seal on the inside edge so when the container is closed, it’s sealed. Perfect for packing lunches that I’m worried about spilling everywhere.

Now for the fun part! Enter below for your chance to win your very own pocket straw.

Win Zoku’s Stainless Steel Pocket Straw #6

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