Sandwich Crackers Make Us Happy!

This is a compensated review from BlogHer and Lance Snacks.

With four growing children, a lot of food gets consumed in our house. We eat healthy (mostly), filling meals three times a day. But kids are kids and growing bodies tend to need a lot of nourishment at random times throughout the day.

As a result, I'm always on the look out for wholesome snack options that will fill them up and keep them full until the next meal time rolls around. They love fruit, and I love giving it to them as a snack, but sometimes they just need something more substantial.

So when I was given the opportunity to sample and review a new line of products from Lance, I was pretty excited. This is one kind of snack that definitely fits our family. And with Lance's new line of whole-grain crackers, it's a convenient snack option that I can give the kids without feeling guilty about.

Since we homeschool, we rarely have to worry about packing a lunch for the kids. However, we do have many times through out the school year when we are running out the door to run errands or go to an activity with our homeschooling group. Those are times when I really appreciate having a quick snack that we can grab and go.

Lance Sandwich Crackers contain no preservatives, no trans fat and no high fructose corn syrup. I was definitely pleasantly surprised to learn that. The new whole-grain crackers come in three different varieties:

• Real peanut butter on whole grain crackers
• Real sharp cheddar cheese on whole grain crackers
• Real cheddar cheese on whole grain crackers

The kids couldn't get enough of these. I suspected that would happen, but what I didn't expect was how much my husband and I would enjoy them. The whole grain cracker adds a whole new element of flavor and texture to traditional sandwich crackers. We thought the crackers were the perfect complement to the cheese and peanut butter fillings.

We also all really enjoyed the 100 calorie snack packs. Lance offers these in three different varieties also.

ToastChee® Peanut Butter
100% Lance-made creamy peanut butter layered on mini-baked cheese crackers ·

Toasty™ Peanut Butter
100% Lance-made creamy peanut butter layered on mini-baked, butter-flavored crackers ·

NipChee™ Cheddar Cheese
Real cheddar cheese layered on mini-baked, cheese-flavored crackers

I am prone to skip meals and then mindlessly snack throughout the day. This is not a good habit for sure. So I really appreciate the built in portion control of the snack packs. For the kids, they loved the novelty (for them) of eating crackers out of bag.

I think we'll be stocking up on these products in the future for sure. I'm thinking I might even keep a few extra packages in the van for those times when hunger hits while we're out on the road somewhere.

Faith...Trust...Pixie Dust

Tinker Bell has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember. I had the privilege of growing up the child of self-described "Disney fanatics." And right at the top of the Disney obsession list was the movie Peter Pan.

My mom loved the scene where Peter, Wendy, Michael, and John flew over London - thanks to that irrepressible Tinker Bell and her magical Pixie dust. Even better than watching this scene in the movie was being a part of it during the Peter Pan ride at Disney World and Disneyland. Our whole family would try to spot Tink throughout the ride.

As a young girl, I remember being captivated by Tinker Bell flying above my head to begin the fireworks display over the castle. I would "ooh" and "aah" over her feat while imagining myself flying. Surely, I could find some of that Pixie dust somewhere!

I think part of the draw of Tinker Bell was her spunk and spirit. I was a pretty shy child (still am!) and I found her empowering. She wasn't afraid to make her opinions known, while at the same time holding on to her loyalty and bravery.

The summer I was 10, I went with my parents to one of their conventions in California. One of the days, I joined a children's group outing to Disneyland with some friends. While we were walking around some of the stores on Main Street, I spotted a small, glass statuette of Tinker Bell. It was perfect for my mom. I was filled with pride at the thought of being able to give my mom such a special gift. She must have agreed that it was pretty special because that Tink still sits on her dresser today.

When I struggled through some turbulent teenage years, Tinker Bell's influence in my life remained - thanks in no small part to my compassionate and long-suffering parents. Many a letter they wrote to me was ended with: "All it takes is faith and trust...and a bit of Pixie dust." Also at some point during these years my parents gave my sister and me each our own bottle of that elusive Pixie dust.

Nowadays, Tinker Bell is just as important a part of my life as ever. My 9 year old daughter has inherited my Tinker Bell fascination. My parents may have been the ones that began this in her also. When she was 3 years old, they bought her a Tinker Bell sweatshirt in Disney World. It had a witty saying on it that perfectly fit Isabelle's stubborn 3 year old self.

Since that beginning, Isabelle has worn many other Tink-adorned clothes and was even Tinker Bell for Halloween a few years ago. She has read and loved all of the Disney Fairies books. The books have propelled her creativity into writing and illustrating her own fairy stories.

So far, Tinker Bell has played a major role in three generations of my family. I am excited to watch my 3 year old and 1 1/2 year old daughters discover Tink for themselves. And I hope as they grow, my girls continue to believe in the power of faith, trust, and Pixie dust.

This is a compensated post from Disney and BlogHer, in honor of the release of the new Tinker Bell movie that will be released on DVD and Blue-ray on October 28th.

You can visit the official site of the Tinker Bell movie here.

Buy the Tinker Bell movie on DVD now. Or, buy it now on Blu-Ray.