Bamboo-zled

Not only have I recently been having some luck in the male department…I’ve also been having some fun in the mail department.*

*Oh the humor of homophones: it’s not just for elementary school anymore.I’m not sure which is more exciting: the fact that my–to quote Stepmama Smart–”old lady magazines” have finally found their way to my new home……or that the Department of Education has decided that it is acceptable for me to mold the young minds of Virginia for five more yeaars. [Smart idea on their part? You decide.]Aside from those personal wins,  I do constantly feel like an incredibly blessed blogger, and not just because of my crazy cool foodie pen pal and blogger exchange packages. I’ve also been  wondering a lot recently why companies think I’m in any way important enough to receive items for sample and review.

Not that I’m going to deny them the opportunity to send them to me, of course. Who wouldn’t want a package branded PB Crave to show up on their doorstep?I mean, really.And don’t y’all even try to pretend you wouldn’t love to get a box of Nana’s  “prototype samples” to show up in your mailbox.

One of my favorite presents has actually been this Bamboo Bottle Company water bottle that actually arrived to my home in Pennsylvania waaaaay back in Decemeber, right before I moved down to Charlottesville. It got a bit lost in the shuffle with packing and unpacking and whatnot, but I finally unearthed it a couple of weeks ago…and have been carrying it around constantly ever since.At first I was a little concerned by how heavy it was–there is a glass insert inside the bamboo covering–but, as Lindsay so helpfully pointed out, it can always fill in as a free weight when you take it to the gym with you. [I also like the idea of it functioning as protection from muggers in back alleyways....should you ever find yourself in one.*]

*Sidenote: During the spelling test yesterday, for the word alley, the sentence that came to me was “Do not hang out in back alleys late at night.” Even fifth graders need to know this, right?The Bamboo Bottle also pairs quite nicely with wine-tasting in the beautiful Virginia countryside……where its bright hint of flirtatious(green!) color makes it a hit with both wine bottles and appetizers, alike. In all seriousness, though, I LOVE this bottle. I have been drinking so much more water because I’ve been carrying it around, and I can feel good about my efforts at environmental sustainability by using (and reusing) it. Also, it looks cool, and is very popular with the fifth grade graders I teach, who marvel at it every day saying, “Are you drinking water out of…wood???”

Plus it’s just fun to drink out of a straw. (My coffee Thermos is jealous.)What about those other packages I showed you above?

Well, let’s just say it’s always good to get a whole box of LOVE (Grown Granola) sent to you……especially with goodwill wishes for your upcoming blogger brunch inside. And not all packages are from companies. I have a lovely Blog Mama who sends me surprise gifts sometimes.Oh, Blog Mama, you’re so sweet. But wait—what’s she talking about, a blogiversary? And what was that brunch that Laura from Love Grown was talking about?Tomorrow is my Second Blog-day/Blogiversary* Brunch. I should probably start getting ready for it…

*I think I like Blog Day better. What do you think?