One of the most interesting parts of being a Macaroni Kid Publisher Mom is learning about new products, services and companies. At our annual Macaroni Meet Up this month, over 100 publishers gathered in at the beautiful JW Marriott Las Vegas for a few days of professional development and sharing, and we were treated to all sorts of introductions, from Blue Man Group to household products. If you follow us on facebook you'll find we have been giving some away!
Among my favorite sample from Meet Up is a hot drink called Peanut Hottie. if you love peanut butter you’ll love it. This instant hot beverage is made by stirring the powder into hot water, and it comes in 2 flavors; Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter & Chocolate ( think of a Recess cup you can drink), Yum! It's made from real peanuts and caffeine free with no artificial additives, and is under 100 calories a cup. I've been enjoying it as an afternoon treat around 3 pm when I want something sweet, and my son has been enjoying it with breakfast. Note: I find you need to give it a serious stir. Learn about Peanut Hottie and where to buy it here.
The Creativity Can is my new favorite gift for all ages. It would also be fun to give a family. Creativity Kits were designed by two women inspired by the power of open creativity when volunteering in classrooms. 
The company makes a whole line of kits, many of them are project based. The Creativity Can is made by Creativity for Kids by Farber-Castell. There are Creative Cans that concentrate on different themes including Art, Build, Motion, Music & Stories. Tens of thousands of these Creativity Cans have been donated to children across the country, yet Creativity for Kids reports no two creations are alike! They even feature an online gallery. At our house, we keep adding new material additions plus past products to the Creativity Can for reinventing. They carry Creativity for Kids products at MishMish, JoAnn's, and Michael's.
A longtime Macaroni Kid sponsor Duck Tape was at welcomed back at Meet Up again. Just when you think Duck Tape could not possibly have any cuter choices, they go and outdo themselves with these little owls with winter hats!
Duck Tape is huge in my house. My son and his friends made shields, vests and swords from cardboard and Duck Tape for 6 months straight once resulting in the best dressed Nerf Wars in the history of Blacksburg. We were at the dump all the time looking for good boxes, and we found Duck Tape patterned like various metals, wood, camo and more. If you ever find yourself looking for an activity, grab some duck tape and hop on their Pinterest Board.
Last on my list of great finds at Meet Up is Krusteaz. I've been a fan of the Krusteaz muffin mixes for years. I met them at Weight Watchers where members love them, and the cranberry orange muffin mix belongs in everyone's pantry. With a little fresh orange grated in, they are pure heaven. My 76 year old mother stopped making biscuits from scratch and uses Krusteaz. I had not tried the cookie mix however, and found this is a great mix for quick cookies, or as a base to add your own twist to. Try adding bananas, pumpkin, peanut butter, nuts, oatmeal or whatever your family enjoys for "easy homemade". There are usually good Krusteaz selections in both Kroger and Food Lion as well as Target here in the NRV. 
We will have a giveaway of more sponsors from #MkMeetUp in the next few weeks, so be on the lookout.
These products were given to me to sample. I did not receive any compensation and all opinions are my own.
