Tryabox!

Last night we got to try out Kevin's Natural Foods Family-Style Frozen Meals, thanks to Tryazon and Kevin's Natural Foods, in exchange for reviews. We tried two different flavors, Lemongrass Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken.  Our overall thoughts were:

-We (I) LOVED how easy they were. All I had to do was dump the bags into pans, cook for about 8 minutes, add the sauce, and cook for another few minutes. That was it!  And the bags came with the meat and the veggies, so I just added a little rice and french bread and we had a meal.  It was so easy. And so CLEAN, which is always a mega plus for me.

-Everyone either tolerated or really liked the teriyaki flavor. The lemongrass, not so much

-The veggies were a little crunchier than we prefer, but that's better than being mushy, which I actually was worried about, considering the meat and veggies cooked for the same amount of time. IRonically the meat ended up a little bit dry.  

We won't be buying these again because they're not good enough to justify the high price point. However, we're very interested in trying out Kevin's other products and flavors, in particular the meat packets that come not-frozen.  We're glad we had this opportunity because we hadn't ever heard of Kevin's beforehand and wouldn't have ever tried it!

TRYAZON ZOLLI NICHE-NATION PARTY!

We got to try out a handful of new treats and games tonight!  We had the missionaries, Grandma Kim, Uncle A, and James and Leslie Merrell over to help us out and had such a fun time.  First we busted out the games.  Well, explanation first.  We had 6 games to try, so we tried a few of them out during the week and then two out tonight.  The ones we played tonight were Family Guess Fest and Mishy Match.  We started with Mishy Match and actually were super confused.  It took us awhile to figure out how we were actually supposed to play, and by time we figured it out we decided we weren't up for the challenge. We figured it is probably a really fun game once you get the hang of it, but just didn't have the energy to try and get the hang of it during the party. Instead we skipped ahead to Family Guess Fest. That was one really fun.  It was easy to understand the instructions so we were able to jump right in.  The game was low key, perfect for a group, and led to lots of fun conversations and comments and tons of laughter.  We loved it and would for sure recommend it.

In between the two games we busted out the Zolli Candy.  We got multiple bags of our favorite (including my beloved Zaffy Taffy) as well as multiple NEW treats to try!  I was most excited for the fruit drops (suckers without the sticks), as I've been hinting (through Tryazon reviews) for a couple of years that I would love these, so I was SUPER excited to see them!  I was also excited for the chocolate caramels. Those actually had mixed reviews.  They're similar in texture and taste to tootsie rolls, some like them, some didn't.  Everyone seemed to like the elderberry suckers, though they had a taste that kind of had to grow on you for some, and the sour suckers got great reviews (great flavor + sour).  Overall the party was a success. We loved getting to try these new games and treats and had a wonderful time with our guests.  

 

TRYAZON!

Tonight we got to try out Dice Games by Thames and Kosmos.  I was really looking forward to this one because I LOVE word games. And you know what?  It did not disappoint.  I am adding it to my list of word games that I love.  Definitely one that we will continue to pull out.  It's a fun game, it was easy to learn, it's one that we can play with the entire family, and it worked well as a group party game. So many to love!

We had the Lees and Patricks over to test the game out with us.  I feel like a broken record by now, but as usual, we had lots of yummy food, the kids did their thing, and us adults (and a few teens) talked forever (good times when our conversation turned to our favorite childhood cereals) and tried out the game.  We don't ever doing anything super fun or fancy but I don't feel like we really need to. We just enjoy getting together since it doesn't happen very often and the games we get to try out often are all we need for entertainment.  As was the one tonight. Everyone had fun with Dice Games.  It was a good night.

 

Another Trayzon game is in the books!

We had the Grays and the Lees over to try out Telestrations Take 2.  It's basically the same game, just with a new look and new prompts and a couple tiny differences to game play.  We're glad they didn't change it because Telestrations has been a game that we've loved for our family and for big group gatherings. Today did not disappoint.  We were laughing the entire time.

After chatting for a bit today, we jumped right into the game. The adults played around and then the girls spent the next hour playing multiple rounds.  It was the perfect game to play today since it was our first time having the Gray family over. Super easy way to break the ice and get comfortable with each other.  And after just one round we were left with multiple 'inside joke' type things that we continued to comment on as we chatted and ate treats for an hour and a half.  It was a super simple, casual gathering that turned into a ton of fun thanks to @tryazon and @theopgames.

Oh! Our party pack also came with Topple Mini. We tried that as a family when we first got it and we really enjoyed it! I think that'll become a game that we pull out a lot when we need something quick.  (Lately, that's anytime I say 'let's play a game' to the kids.  They're going through a 'family game time isn't my favorite' phase and prefer quick and easy games!)

 

Zolli + Tryazon + Friends = The Good Life

We were lucky enough to get chosen for another Zolli Tryazon party.  I love these so much! 

We invited like 6 different families but only 2 could come. But that's ok. We LOVE the Pingels and the Harpers and had so much fun.  And we'll still share Zolli with our other friends.  We always have it on hand and share it with pretty much everyone because we love it that much.

Tonight we started by picking peaches from our trees because, we'll, it's that time of year. We have a zillion peaches and need all the help we can get eating them.  Next we tried out all of the different Zolli treats. We got some of my favorite, the big and the little taffies. Those are always a hit. We also got lots of suckers, hooray! And we got to try to newbies, the caramel apple suckers and the chocolate caramels.  This is what we thought of those:

1. Caramel Apple Suckers: Per Alex “this is probably my favorite out of all of the suckers”.  Everyone really liked this one.  It’s really tasty and has a good balance between the caramel and apple flavors.  And I LOVE that it doesn’t have the actual caramel that gets stuck on your teeth (like other caramel apple suckers)
2. Chocolate Caramels: These were a little disappointing, probably simply because I had very high expectations and was really looking forward to trying these.  You don’t get the caramel flavor at all, and only a small taste of chocolate.  There just isn’t much flavor overall.  One of our party-ers absolutely loved them, but the overall consensus was that they fell a little flat.

After taste-testing we played games. First was Telastrations with everyone. Always a fun party choice. Next was Carcassone with just the adults.  That's always a fun one too.  Next we picked more peaches and then called it a night.  As usual, we didn't really do anything crazy or creative etc etc ... because really we like to just taste our yummy treats and then have a good time enjoying each others' company. And we're always grateful to Tryazon for giving us a reason to do that!

 

 Hootenany Games Tryazon Party!

We lucked out.  Kim was in town this week and we had planned to have our good friends Tom and Patti over for dinner at the end of her stay (Friday) and then our Tryazon party pack arrived early, just in time for our group dinner! Alex came to and we made a night of it.  We ate a delicious dinner (thanks to Kim for making her lip-smacking chicken pot pie), played multiple games, and enjoyed great conversation.  It was a fantastic night.

(Not Pictured: Kim and Nick)

We of course started out with dinner and chatting, and then once we were finished and had cleaned up, we dove into the games.  We had FOUR Tryazon games to test out!  We tried Disco Island Escapes first. 

Pros: High quality, beautiful design, easy to learn, good play-time (10-15 min), works for all ages, unique concept, not too difficult but does require some strategy, 2-4 players (it can be hard finding games that are fun with only a few players)

Cons: Not super exciting (maybe a little too simple, or maybe it just wasn't our preferred type of game), 2-4 players (this is a con when you're wanting a party game)

Next was Snarkas.

Pros: High quality, beautiful design, easy to learn, good play-time (10-15 min), good for most ages, unique concept, not too difficult but does require some strategy, 2-4 players (it can be hard finding games that are fun with only a few players) ... the same as the last game!

Cons: Not super exciting (maybe a little too simple, or maybe it just wasn't our preferred type of game), 2-4 players (this is a con when you're wanting a party game) .... again, the same as the last game.

Next up: Feelin Cute

I actually really really liked this game.  It's definitely more of a kid game, not an adult game.  Or one of the family games that maybe not all parents would love, but that they wouldn't mind playing with their kids.  I thought it was fun and would play it with my kids any day.  

Pros: High quality - very sturdy, cute and fun design, easy to learn, good play-time (10-15 min),  unique concept, not at all difficult, 2-8 players (Nice to have the range)

Cons: In my personal opinion, there are no cons.  Nick watched us play and said he wouldn't want to play it, but he didn't give me a reason. And not all games are for everyone. I don't think this is an adult-only game, but not all games have to be. So I'm sticking with the 'no cons'

The fourth and final game was SIXEM -- Sour Patch Kid Style.  This one was fun too!

Pros: Super cute (makes you want to play it just looking at it), unique concept, easy to learn, great for families, game length can be adjusted per your preference, 2-5 players (adding that 5th player makes a big difference, 2-4 can be hard), everyone plays at once (it can be hard to wait your turn!).

Cons: Again, I don't really have any cons for this one.  Nick wasn't a huge fan, but he's sometimes a bah-humbug about games ;) I like finding new games that are different than what we always play and I LOVE finding games our entire family can play together and this game fit both of those bills. 

Overall Consensus: I think this is a game we will play a moderate amount.  Maybe even more than moderate.  We liked it. (And I seriously love the look of it.)

BYU Father/Son Camp 2025
According to Max 

 

Day 1 (Friday): First we drove (and according to Dad, Max asked lots of questions). Then when we got there we checked in and went to our dorm.  We got tons of cool stuff and then threw around a football for half an hour. Then we had dinner at the cafeteria and Max had ice cream twice. Next was a meeting at the Marriott Center and then rotations from 7-10pm! We played ultimate frisbee, soccer, pickle ball, and did gymnastics. When we were done we got more ice cream.  They were fruit ice cream popsicle things that Dad is now obsessed with. On the way back to the dorm the people asked us if we wanted extra ice cream and we did. And then we went back to our dorm and went to sleep.

Day 2 (Saturday): We woke up at 7 and had breakfast at the cafeteria.  No ice cream, only because the machine wasn't turned on, so we had donuts instead.  After we ate we went to our morning meeting at the Marriott Center and then we had rotations. We did a basketball shooting contest, 5x5 basketball, we had a fearless mind sports psychology class, had a shooting clinic, and did swimming and diving (Max passed a swim test and dove off of the small and medium boards!). We took a shower and ate lunch at the South Field (soda and cookies and rice) and then had more rotations.  We did flag football and dodgeball and then went to the sports annex (they practice and train athletes there). We did the vertical jump test (Max reached 80" and Dad reached 116") and speed test and got signatures from athletes. Next was dinner. For that we had a super fun carnival and ate Bam Bam BBQ (meat and then ice cream, of course). The carnival had golf, soccer (kicking into a bullseye), an obstacle course (Max ended it with a front flip), a flip ladder, a basketball/bowling game, a baseball game, axe throwing, smashball, volleyball, cornhole, a football throwing game, and a big movie screen.  After that we had a little free time at our dorm. Max climbed into a tree to take a picture, we threw a football, hung out, and went to bed. Before bed, after the 14 hour day, Max said "We probably should go to bed now ... Dad, I feel like a limp noodle".

Day 3 (Sunday): We woke up and Max said, "Dad, my eyes feel wobbly. I'm the tiredest I've ever been."  Then we ate breakfast at the cafeteria. Next we showered and got ready for church and did scripture study. We had church at the Marriott Center and it was really cool.  Brother Brad Wilcox and Kevin Young (Men's BBall coach) spoke.  Next was lunch. Really yummy lasagna at the Marriott  Center + ice cream and soda. After we ate we had free time.  We had a foosball tournament at some other kids' dorms and played some football and watched a movie. Next was dinner at the cafeteria and Max had ice cream 3 times! Once before food, twice after.  After dinner was a fireside (at all the meetings we did "3 Bangers") where Elder and Sister Runia spoke. It was a good fireside.  Max remembers the sound contest (they tested the microphones and found out old people can't hear stuff young people can hear).  After the prayer everyone was so excited. All the kids ran out and got ice cream and Max's favorite was cookies adn cream (it was from the BYU creamery). He had it twice and then played freeze tag in the grass. After that we went home and went to bed.  (Most nights ended at about 9).

Day 4 (Monday): On Monday we skipped the Y hike and had breakfast and went to our morning meeting at the Smith Field House. We did a Memorial Day video thing.  After that we go to tour the Marriott Center. Max played basketball and Dad went into the locker room. We also got more athlete signatures. After that we played some Chicago Ball at the baseball field, Miller Park. During that Max almost got to second base! After that we played some football at the football stadium and checked out the locker room and got football guy signatures. Next we went to the awards ceremony and after that had JDawgs for lunch.  Then we checked out and went home.

Extra things to remember: BYU bookstore on the first day. Bought JDawg sauce. Met a friend named Asher and did most of our stuff with him and his dad. Got Powerade basically every day. Got a ton of swag (basketball, football, jerseys, sunglasses, bags, hats, flag for our car, suckers, protein drinks, foam finger, Deep Blue rub, etc.). Max met his goal of ice cream every day. Usually more than once. Max got 8 signatures and is going to never wash his jersey so that the signatures don't go away. Soccer and swimming were Max's favorite activities. Max got hit in the stomach with the soccer but still blocked the goal! Pretty much it was the best weekend ever.