Isolator Fitness Isopack: 10 Months of Use Review Update

It's been about 10 months since I did an initial review of the IsoPack so I figured it was about time I update you on how the pack is holding up, how/if I'm still using it today and etc. 

Short answer is yes, I still use it during the week and when I travel. Having everything in one place makes things so much easier for me as I have mentioned before and if I prep on the weekend then all I have to do is switch out the medication pod each morning, fill my water bottles and the lunch box area each morning and I'm out the door. I love it!

I don't carry as much in my bag these days as when I first started carrying it though. Over the past 10 months I've been working out what I actually need and what is unnecessary or redundant because I have it elsewhere. For instance, I have lessened the number of cords I carry in my electronics bag and found a USB charger that works with all of them... less bulk and weight than my original bag for electronics that had the cords that came with everything I might need to charge while out. A few other changes: fewer organizer bags, smaller (and fewer) salty snacks and electrolyte replacement options, less gadgets, and a more space efficient way to carry my workout clothes.


The bags I currently have in my bag are:

• Medical 
• This one is pretty much the same as it was before. The differences are simple: it has a few more essential oils than it did earlier this year and my blood pressure cuff has been removed. It doesn't fit in there properly in the case so it isn't in an organizer bag now.
• Make-up
• Much simpler selection with just one option of everything I might need to freshen up for a last minute meeting at work. No muss, no fuss, no extra baggage.
• Electronics bag
• I already mentioned the changes to this one. It used to be completely full but now it has room to spare after paring down the selection in the bag and using rubber bands to keep cords from tangling up. I did add an emergency charge/battery to this bag as I was having issues with my car charger for a while but everything is back to working again thankfully. 
• The "everything else bag" 
• This one has neck coolers, an ankle brace, some tissues, a salty snack, my glasses and electrolyte drink tabs and powder. 
• Other things in the bag:
• Workout clothes in a drawstring bag that also contains my phone's neoprene arm band
• Blood pressure monitor
• Stethoscope... which I can probably remove but I just haven't. I was having some issues with irregular rhythms for a while and my sister suggested carrying one during that time frame (she's a nurse and wanted me to listen for a specific pattern when my bp cuff said 'Irr. Rhythm Detected').

The front larger pouch I use as my 'purse' in that it contains almost everything I would have in a purse (and that come out quickly to be tossed in a purse on the weekend for church or etc.  

• Wallet, checkbook, hand fan, ear buds, daily meds pod, emergency meds container, my keys, sunglasses, contact case, and a pen.

The smaller front pouch is more meal related:

• Salt and Pepper shaker
• Spork
• Pop up cup (for electrolyte drinks... they don't do so well in my water bottles if I use a tab due to the fizz created as it dissolves)
• If I have a specific plan for the day that would require an additional protein bar, non-refrigerated snack, or etc. it might end up in this pouch as well. 

So, on to the question of how do I feel about this bag now: I still love it. The bag isn't perfect of course but it does it's job and is holding up to daily use better than I expected it to. Some non-positive things I've noticed about the bag this year are below but none of them would have made me change my mind on the option I chose.

• Some of the rigidity of the bottom/meal portion is gone now of course as it isn't designed to keep it's shape... but I knew that when I purchased the bag and made the decision that it fit my lifestyle better. 
• The lunchbox is a little more difficult to clean than I imagined it to be as I can't soak it and the seams can get messy if something comes opened.
• My new computer is a bit too wide to fit comfortably in the Isopack (and it makes it heavy to carry around), but it does still fit with some wrangling, so I only use that feature when I'm traveling or have a meeting that requires my laptop at the moment. The rest of the time I carry paperwork and the like in that area of the bag. It's not a big issue to me as I don't typically need to bring a laptop around with me. When/if I go back to teaching or have a job that requires bringing a laptop everywhere I will just opt for a lighter laptop. 
• I also had the clip on the chest strap break. Awesome customer service though, they simply sent me a new clip in the mail when I called- no questions asked and an apology given. I was quite pleased actually with their service representatives actually.

All in all I am quite happy with my purchase and would purchase this bag again. Though maybe in a bright color this time instead of the blackout... my personality has come back with a vengeance in the last year (it's been great rediscovering who I am again!) and I would be ok with a few random odd looks for a giant bright pink backpack now. Color makes me happy! :)


If you are interested in the original review series for the Isopack vs the Expedition 500:
Part One: The Isopack
Part Two: The Expedition 500
Part Three: The Comparison

Here's the post about packing for a trip (so you can see what I had in my organizer bags before).

If you are interested in checking out the Isopack on Amazon here's a link: 

Review: Light My Fire Spork Original

The Spork is basically a fork, spoon and knife in one. The original is
6.75 inches long and weighs 0.3 oz according to their website (I did not whip out the scale to test it but that feels about right... it is very lightweight). I like that, while it is plastic, they use a BPA free material so I am limiting that exposure. I literally take this with me every day to work in my lunchbox. I own two- both in pink- that I purchased in a little novelty store while traveling. I would suggest purchasing them online as they are cheaper online than I paid originally... I overpaid but they were still worth it! The Spork comes in original size as well as a medium and large size for you who like camping and need serving and cooking utensils. The website says that the medium is good for eating freeze dried food out of pouches if you backpack though I have not tried it out so can't speak to that... I don't really backpack with my medical issues all that often as you can likely imagine. Amazon has this item in a 4-pack for $9.99 but they also have it individually if you search for it. It may not be on Prime though so if you are like me and have Prime and don't want to pay additional shipping you may be more inclined to purchase the 4 pack and get a bit more for your money (plus have to wash dishes less often or have one for every lunchbox in the family!). This may seem a little more expensive than you want to pay right off the bat for plastic-ware. I agreed actually but then changed my mind after seeing how durable these sporks are. They aren't your typical cheap cutlery where the tines bend a bit in the wash or nicks gouge out of the plastic easily (at least not in the past few months for my sporks). They haven't stained or warped at all in the dishwasher either. One thing that I wasn't sure about was kids with a knife edge though, but they covered that as well... If you do not want your little ones to have a knife edge the company offers the Spork Little which is A- adorable, B- smaller than the original for little hands, and C- lacks a knife edge. They also have it in Titanium for those not wanting plastic! I think this company has pretty much covered all their bases when it comes to making a product that most people would be able to use. I love this nifty product as I don't really like taking my silverware to work in a lunchbox and I'm all about colors... we need more color in the world. Color=happiness. Yes... I taught kindergarten and love to color. I'm just one of those people. :) So, pros and cons time...

PROS: 

• Lightweight
• Only need one utensil so you don't forget anything you may need (an issue for me in the mornings... arg)
• Durable: I've been using this daily for several months and toss it in the dishwasher just as often... so far I see absolutely no wear and tear.
• Many colors available (I mentioned I like colors, right?)
• Options for children as well as campfire cooking available should that be something I want to use in the future. My mother picked up a few of the Spork Littles for my neice's diaper bag... as I said, useful and adorable.
• Non-staining: I simply wipe it off once I am done eating, nothing special... and yet no stains to date. 

CONS: 

• Plastic... but they have a metal one available.
• Sharpness: The knife isn't particularly sharp. This is good so that you don't cut yourself when using the spoon but isn't awesome for cutting into a dense piece of fruit or tough cut of meat. More of an fyi than a con I guess.

Review: Nicole Miller of New York Insulated Lunch Cooler

"Eating Paleo takes a bit of planning" A truer has never been made... but it is far from the crazy difficulty that I often am told it must be. One of the biggest planning tools that I use daily has been my lunch tote. It is very important that I am able to pack a substantial amount of food as most days I am bringing at least 2 meals with me- breakfast and lunch- and some days I am bringing as many as 4- breakfast, lunch, shake or snack, and dinner. Previously, I used a fairly traditional lunchbox... the type that tent up to the top. They look like they are large but there is a lot of unusable space due to the design. That is, if you want to zip the tote closed- a must to keep the food cold! My mother was at Sam's Club and found a really cute lunch kit for herself: the Nicole Miller of New York Insulated Lunch Cooler.

I love it! Finally, no more wasted space! This lunch kit reminds me of the ones I took as a child in that it is a simple rectangular prism (nearly cube) with a zipper and handles. Nothing super fancy... but pretty stinkin' cute you'd have to agree. Immediately I needed one. I was tired of carrying a lunchbox AND food to put in the fridge at work for my second meal of the day. My wonderful mother picked one up for me that very weekend in an adorable pink polka dot pattern. Isn't it totes adorbs (I'm in a movie/TV/song quote mood right now... fair warning. Also, if you haven't watched the Lizzie Bennett Diaries you are seriously missing out. Get to it!)?

 

There are both good and not so good qualities about this insulated tote but for the days when I need to pack only two meals this is a lunchbox I like very much.

The good:

1. You can store a lot of food in here!

If you are like, 'Whoa! that's enough for 5 meals!' hold up a second... not quite. It is enough for a salads (about 2 C), two entrees/proteins, a snack (if I don't add an extra cold pack), a fruit or veggie side and portioned dressing/condiments. I can't put all of this in there if I am carrying a container of dressing or any type of uncut fruit for instance. If I use the containers that came with the tote

I have enough room for a larger salad, a protein, another veggie or fruit (or some nuts or etc) and breakfast plus my salad dressing, utensils, and cooling pack. If I pack it with all of the containers you saw above then I can't add extra cooling pouches. A must if I am going to need it to last till a late lunch or beyond unfortunately.

2. As I already mentioned... it comes with containers. From a little research online it looks like not all of the kits out there have the three pack that I received but getting some non-leak containers was certainly a plus for me. Perhaps it would be worth it to check out Sam's if you wanted the containers... the link I put above goes to Amazon and it appears from the tag that the containers are included, at least for the polka dot version.

3. It is easy to clean. Until you have had a green smoothie leak in your lunchbox you simply do not know the pain of deep cleaning a lunchbox... that stuff stains and gets into every crevice in a lunch kit... or backpack, as was my case. Exploding bottle of green juice... everywhere. It was not a pretty sight and took forever to clean... I'm still finding flakes! Ugg. So I was quite happy to put my shake in my new box for safekeeping instead of in my backpack. This was on a day that I ate breakfast at home (rare... I came in to work late) so I while I usually don't have room for my shake container I did this day. And boy was I glad when I got home and saw that it had leaked (that lid is going in the trash). Hurray for not having to clean a backpack! A little Thieves cleaning spray and it wiped out good as new. Yay!

The bad:
1. The cold pack that comes with it is not particularly good. Unfortunately, though it is a clever idea to make it thin enough to fit in the front zipper pouch the pack simply doesn't keep the box cold for long enough. I end up putting it in the fridge at work to keep it fresh all day instead. On a side note, anytime I say or hear the word clever now-a-days I always think "Run, my clever boy... and remember." Kudos to anyone who gets that reference... we can be friends.

2. There is no pouch for a drink. I know this won't be an issue for most people but I would really like to have a drink pouch for a water bottle or shake on the lunchbox somewhere. Just a personal preference. My last one didn't either though so it isn't a huge issue, just a want.

That's it... pretty much loving my two meal lunchbox. Now to figure out what to do for the days I am gone for all my meals. Hmm... until next time interwebs, have a great day!

My Weekly Meal Prep

Without a doubt the biggest question I get is "If you don't eat __________ what DO you eat?" So I figured I should do a post about a typical week for me. I do a lot of bulk cooking and preparation since I have a very busy schedule between work, grad school, choir practice, dance practice, church and house hunting so I usually do the majority of my meal prep on Saturday night or Sunday depending on what I am making. Sometimes both... if I am making something in the crock pot I will usually put it in on Saturday night so that when I do the rest of my prep on Sunday I can portion out my crock pot meal or protein. I used to plan something new every day but I don't any longer as it created an overabundance of food and therefore unnecessary work and possibly wasted food... not good. The plan I am currently using is 2-3 options for lunches and dinners that I can mix and match each weekday and then veggies and fruit sides and snacks.

Breakfasts:
I typically prep veggies, mushrooms and a protein such as sausage or diced ham for fast omelets on the weekend then it is just a matter of scooping out a little veg into the scrambled eggs, tossing some extra protein in and letting it cook up while I pack my lunchbox.

Lunches: 

Tuna tins or pouches, sliced deli meats, and "leftovers" from other meals make up my protein sources. I will typically purchase thicker cuts of deli meats or bake/roast meats and freeze them after slicing in small quantities. Sometimes I will have a few smaller portions of cheese that I can add to a lunch and I almost always have some homemade mayo on hand for tuna salad. 

Salads: I make up a large salad each week... enough to last me 6-7 side salads minimum. This makes prepping lunches and quick dinners very quick and only takes a few minutes longer than making a single salad would take so it is a but time saver. My typical salad is a mix of: kale, chard, spinach, red or green leaf lettuce, romaine and maybe a little radicchio. My other veggies go in small containers on the side so that they don't get my salad mushy. 

Veggies for Salads and Snacks: I most commonly use carrots, zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes as they are all easy to use as both salad toppings and snacks that I can eat on the go.

Other Salad Toppings and Snacks: Nuts, seeds, hard boiled eggs, and dried berries all make for easy salad toppings and double as snacks as well. These are things I personally use sparingly but as everything but the eggs are fairly shelf stable I keep them on hand to use when I need to.

Dinner Mains/Proteins: This week's dinners are BBQ rubbed beef in the crock pot, roasted chicken (which can also be made in the crock pot... just make one on Saturday and one on Sunday!), and zoodles with meat sauce. Zoodles aren't something that I usually make up early as they are easy to make and take very little time but I will make the meat sauce ahead of time. Honestly, I usually keep 1-2 servings of marinara and/or meat sauce in the freezer.

Dinner Carb-Based Sides: I personally eat very few carbs in the grand scheme of things so you won't find me making these regularly but if you need some extra carbs in your diet then these are quick and easy sides: roasted root vegetables such as parsnips, yams and carrots (just drizzle in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt then roasted), sweet potatoes either sliced, mashed or baked and sauteed veggies w a small amount of rice (portion the fresh veg and  steamed rice ahead of time then you can saute everything when you are about to eat for crisp  fresh veggies).

Dinner (non-starchy) Sides: I eat more of the large salad I eat for lunch or toss a Ceasar salad, steamed or stir fried Asian veggies, cauliflower 'rice', zoodles, or pretty much any veggie at the farmer's market works here. I aim to try a new veggie every month.

Other: Sometimes I am not very hungry but want a little something... or I am not feeling well suddenly. During these times I pull out my frozen bone broth. Tossing in some fresh vegetables or protein makes for a fast soup as well. Bone broth has a lot of health benefits so you may even want to keep this as a regular meal.

Treats: Treats for me aren't usually baked goods... but it is sometimes. Maybe once a month or if I have an event I will bake up a batch of something sweet. My more common treats are whole fruit, smoothies, fruit salad, dark chocolate and unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon.

What Prep Looks Like:

Saturday Afternoon:

10 minutes- Put the beef dish in the crock pot on low overnight.

Sunday Morning:

15 minutes- Portion beef in individual serving containers and place in the refrigerator, clean the crock pot and put the chicken in the crock pot (you could also roast the chicken in the evening).

Sunday Evening: About 1 hour

• If I plan on eating more carbs during the week I will go ahead and rough chop some root veggies, drizzle them with oil in a baking dish, sprinkle a little sea salt and toss them in the oven to roast while I am doing the rest of my meal prep.
• Remove chicken from crock pot and allow to rest for several minutes.
• While chicken is resting chop all the veggies, toss the salad, and portion half the veggies for snacking. The other half of the veggies go into containers by type and all of the salad and veggies go into the refrigerator. Veggies for morning omelets go in one airtight container which I store right by the eggs... I am NOT a morning person so every little thing helps in the mornings.
• Then I wash all my fruit, slice any berries that I plan on eating in the first few days and portion out any fruit that I want to eat as snacks into individual portions. If I am not sure that I will take fruit as snacks then I store it by type. I do not typically pre-cut citrus, bananas or apples since they are easy to eat on the go and store better uncut.
• By this time the chicken is ready to be cut and portioned out into individual portions. 
• I will then freeze all but about 6 meals worth of protein between both the chicken and beef. When I am out of meals of one type I can move one from the freezer to the fridge and it will thaw by the time I need the eat it.
• If I need to pull out meats for lunches then I will do that at this time. 
• If I am planning on having meats with my omelets I will ensure that they are chopped.

Breakfast and lunch meats are often done in bulk as well as mayo. other condiments and bone broth. Usually biweekly works well for me as the meats from one week (such as the one listed above) will last nearly two weeks' worth of meals since it is just me so I can use that time on the opposite weeks to make condiments and breakfast/lunch meats like a roasted turkey breast or ham (cook, slice and freeze in portioned packets).
Weekday Morning:

• Crack eggs, scramble and add in veggies and meats as desired.
• While that is cooking I pack my lunch. First I assemble my salad, grab a bag of snacking veggies or fruit, and adding a portion of lunch protein and any dressings or condiments I might need along with the rest to my lunchbox. If I will be out of the house for dinner as well I add in a cooked dinner protein and an extra salad as well as some mixed nuts or a treat (that I may or may not eat). My lunchbox goes in the fridge at work and has an ice pack so it stay cool all day. I keep mixed nuts and a piece of fruit (you could also do some jerky) at work in case I can't take lunch till later in the day and get hungry... a small portion of nuts or a piece of fruit will hold me over. Usually my breakfast will last me until 1-2pm though since it is high in protein and healthy fats.
• By the time I packed my lunch (maybe 3 minutes) it is time to fold my omelet over, maybe add a bit of cheese... by the time I have added eating utensils to my lunchbox and get out a dish for my omelet it is time to plate it. 

The whole routine usually takes about 10 minutes (like I said- I am not a morning person) and often includes some other morning odds and ends like changing the laundry over or other chores. Add in another few minutes for the dogs, 15 minutes for a shower and getting ready for work (my hair is super short right now so it doesn't take very long) and a couple minutes to grab whatever I need for after work activities and I'm ready to leave for work. Grand total from waking up to walking out the door you ask? 30-40 minutes usually... including preparing 2-3 meals for the day, a household chore and taking care of myself and the dogs.

When I was married I followed a similar routine but made the dinner proteins in the crock pot every other day so they would be ready when I got home in the evening... and there were more carbs as I had a very active military husband. Lunches and breakfasts were pretty much the same but cooking for 2+ meant less space in the fridge so I would do meal prep twice a week instead of just once. Making up packets of marinaded meats and freezing them for use on the grill or in stir fry was also something that I did a lot of to speed dinner up on the evenings where I didn't want to use a crock pot. Casseroles are another time saver as you can prep one in the morning or the night before and pop it in the oven when you get home for a meal in usually less than half an hour (enough time to do a load of laundry and clean 1 room of the house if you are me... I like to be done with everything before dinner if possible). It's all about making the most of your time and finding a routine that works for your schedule and family.