International Home and Housewares Show 2013 Monday Recap #IHHS13 #foodie fun #originalphotos #HDvideo

Goodcook's new Popcorn Baller not only makes balls, but footballs, cubes and more!   Check out a quickie demo along with our photo tour of their hot new releases and colorful, reasonable product line.   

We applied to be a part of the Good Cook blogger network and are awaiting word.   Sure, we're not just a foodie blog, we cover entertainment and parenting as well, but everyone's gotta eat.   Our readers are savvy, eco-friendly, and mostly in charge of the care and feeding of our families.   So we do frequent "foodie fun" features, product & restaurant reviews, and tips to make your life easier.   Whether you're a gourmet mama who adores cooking or an on the run mama who dreads dinner time and is lucky to squeeze in healthy meals for everyone between kids' activities, we've got something for you!

Earlier this month, ChiIL Mama scored a rare and coveted photo pass/media credentials for IHHS13, so we made the most of the opportunity.   The International Home and Housewares Show is a mecca for retail sales, media and inventors, but closed to the public.  So ChiIL Mama went as your eyes and ears, and got the scoop for YOU.   

Here's our photo filled IHHS13 overview and a few of our favorites.   We'll be getting in depth with individual brand features, reviews, and giveaways in the near future.  In fact, we're working up a big, giveaway surprise for Earth Day in April, so check back like we vote in Chi, IL...early and often.

Monday, we began our International Home and Housewares Show coverage bright and early with a Cake Boss Press Breakfast with Buddy Valastro, star of TLC's hit bakery reality show.   




Click here for our photo and video filled Cake Boss feature.

The people are as crucial as the product for making IHHS amazing!

We spent the day exploring the show, with an eye out for green, eco-friendly products.

One of our favorites was Aladdin's new line of insulated plastic mugs with lids and straws, that look like mason jars!  They put me in the mood for lemonade and mojitos with fresh mint!  So fun.   






Something old...something new.   I was jazzed to see Aladdin is re-releasing my first lunch box from preschool.   I want one!   They make our ChiIL Picks List for best retro redesign.




We also dug the infusion of bright colors into home and housewares products.

And eco-friendly classics with unbeatable design flair.




We'll be doing full features soon, but our endless quest for leak proof, kid friendly, playful reusable bottles and coffee to-go mugs just got a bit more fun!   

We dig the reusable can cups from Coolgear.   They get major kudos for design flair, presentation (Samples came out of this rockin' vending machine), and humor for the amusing can text.   They're some punny guys & girls over at coolgear marketing.   Cantastic!

We're also a bit infatuated with their colorful tea infuser mugs and sugar skull cups!   Happy Dia de los muertos indeed.

Over the years we've tried out a variety of new styles of refillable water bottles and coffee mugs--the bane of my existence as an eco-conscious mama!   We probably have upwards of 20 reusable bottles and mugs and the only ones that don't leak are too tough for the kids to open!   We've been on an endless quest for kid friendly, easy, truly leak proof bottles.   2013 might be our lucky year.




Bevi Bags are clever for cutting packaging waste, and buying juice in bulk.   Although our family's been trying to wean our way off plastic bags to reusable containers, for zero waste school lunches.

Itzy Ritzy was one of our favs, with their reusable, wet lined bags, for everything from snacks to swimsuits.

They also get bonus points for presentation.   Visitors to their booth got to keep a snack bag and fill it from the candy dispensers.   My kids were enthralled when I brought that snack pack home...though when the gum balls and Mike n Ikes are gone, it'll be converting to granola and dried fruits.  

Our other big eco-friendly favorites from last year were back.   We dig the Aussie based Food Movers!   

We'll be giving away one of their rockin' red Smash lunch boxes next month for Earth Day (pictured below).

They win our ChiIL Picks List for rockin' tween favs.   Sometimes it's hard to find fun designs for tweens and teens that aren't too babyish or boring.    These smash bottles fit the bill.

 There were more green options at IHHS13 than ever before.   We were elated to see Bamboo popping up, even for the littles.

This green start up, BACK TO THE ROOTS, makes our ChiIL Picks List for easy DIY home farming.  Their mushroom kits and home aquaponics are simple to set up and compact enough for small urban spaces.   Genius!

We're also working on the details of a special Earth Day giveaway and feature with these guys.   Eco-bags are all the rage, with more popping up every year.   But these guys are the originals.

We dig the Eco Lunchbox bento box like lunch tins, so you can look good while you do good for the earth.   Dine in style!
  

We'll also be giving away Fabrikators veggie scrubbing gloves in adult & kids' size and a garlic card.  These gloves clean your vegges and keep the vitamins and minerals in the peels intact, to protect your hands and your health.








ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama.   We have lots more original content on the IHHS13 show coming soon.